Ambulance
by particularly good finder
Summary: Pre-Season 1. Finn saves Kurt from bleeding to death after a nasty dumpster dive, setting in motion a chain of events that will forever change his life.
1. Chapter 1

**So I'm tired and sick and I'm really not sure what this is. All I know is that it's pre-Season one, aka Freshman year, meaning no Glee yet. I don't know if I like it, but I have the whole story planned out. Please, please review, 'cause this is possibly the longest chapter I've ever written for a fanfiction.**

_:-:_

_i need an ambulance__  
><em>_i took, i took the worst of the blow_

_:-:_

_send me a redeemer__  
><em>_let me know if i'm gonna be alright_

_:-:_

_am i gonna be alright?_

_:-:_

_'cause i know how it usually goes__  
><em>_i know how it usually goes_

_:-:_

Finn walked out of the locker room, stretching his aching muscles. High school football was a lot more rigorous than middle school football, and he was feeling the effects of it. Outside, the air was starting to get cooler, and he shivered a little.

He saw a couple of his teammates, and he waved to them. They were mostly upperclassmen, and he really wanted to get on their good side. Sadly, no one noticed him as he approached, because they were too preoccupied with the small, huddled figure in the middle of their circle. Finn slowed his pace, watching the older boys carefully.

"Come on, fag. Cry for us! Cry like the little girl you are!" One - Sean Karofsky, the older brother of Finn's classmate, Dave - was shouting at the kid in the middle, laughing like a bad guy out of a movie or something. Finn, with his superior height, caught a glimpse of the team's victim. He was small, definitely a freshman like Finn, with wide blue eyes that were - surprisingly - devoid of tears. He was glaring at Sean like the older student _couldn't_ beat him to a pulp. The boy may have been small and girly, but he had _balls_.

"The only thing here that makes me want to cry is the inevitability of your future being filled with alcoholism and marriage failure, Karofsky." Ouch. The kid was good. Even if Finn didn't understand half of what he said.

"What did you say, homo?" Sean had a nasty temper, and the gay kid was about to learn that the hard way. Still, it didn't stop him from verbally abusing Karofsky.

"Just stating the obvious. Or did I use too many big words? Should I dumb it down? You are never going to be anything but a Lima Loser, Sean. Get your kicks now; they're all you'll have, in the end."

Sean's eyes flared, and his fist struck out to collide with the kid's face. Finn flinched - violence made him uncomfortable - but said nothing; it was the best way to survive at McKinley High. The other boys laughed and jeered. The kid fell to the ground, but tears would not fall.

"I may be a Lima Loser, but at least I'll live that long." Finn's blood chilled. That was practically a death threat!

Without warning, Sean grabbed the gay kid, pinning his arms behind his back. "Dave!" He barked, and his little brother appeared, looking unsure of what to do. "Grab his feet!"

The Karofsky brother hauled the kid into the air easily, despite the struggle the smaller boy was giving. Sean led Dave over the big dumpster on the edge of the parking lot, and gave a wicked grin. "On three. One...two...THREE!"

They chucked the kid into the bin, laughing even as his head collided nastily with the edge. The football players cheered, welcoming this new form of torture with open arms. Finn felt ill.

"That'll teach the fag. Did you see him checking out my junk? Fuckin' homo..." Sean bitched, leading his posse away. The rest of the team dispersed, though Dave Karofsky lingered by the dumpster a millisecond longer than he should have before running off. Finn bit his lip and approached the bin, leaning over the edge.

"You okay?"

No reply. He looked closer, and the gay kid's eyes were closed, like he was asleep. Maybe it was a defense mechanism, like when possums played dead.

"I won't hurt you. Do you need help getting out?"

The kid didn't move. Finn reached over and poked him in the shoulder. No response. Finn frowned, then looked at the side of the dumpster, where the kid had hit his head.

It was tinted red with splotches of blood.

"Shit!" Finn cried. Without a second thought, he crawled into bin and started examining the gay kid. There was a deep cut on the back of his head, and his face was starting to bruise from the punch. "Help! Help!"

A shy Asian girl who was pushing a boy in a wheelchair heard Finn's shouts and raced over, pulling her friend along. "W-w-w-what's w-wrong?" She stuttered.

Finn motioned to the kid he was kneeling over. "Some guys threw him in and he hit his head and now he won't wake up!"

The girl peered over the edge, gasping. "T-that's Kurt! Have you called 9-1-1?"

Finn shook his head. Tina sighed, and pulled out her cell phone, hands shaking. The kid in the wheelchair - his name was Artie, Finn was pretty sure - took it from her and dialed 9-1-1. She smiled at him gratefully. Artie started murmuring into the phone, urgent but collected. Finn turned back to the gay ki- Kurt, and, thoughtlessly, brushed a piece of hair from the boy's face. The girl looked on anxiously.

"Are you friends with him?" Finn asked, turning to face her. She shook her head.

"W-we've t-t-talked a coup-ple of t-times, mostly j-j-just fashion advice. H-he and Artie are l-l-lab p-partners in b-biology, and we w-went to middle school w-w-with him, but..." She trailed off and bit her lip. "He d-d-doesn't really h-have friends. B-Bit of a l-l-l-loner."

Finn peered at Kurt sadly. Artie hung up the phone and handed it back to the Asian girl. "They'll be here soon. They said not to touch him."

"Too late," Finn said, leaning back against the dumpster's side. "I'm Finn, by the way."

Artie raised his chin in recognition. "Artie."

The girl smiled sweetly - albiet sadly - at him. "T-T-Tina."

The sound of a siren screamed from the distance, and Finn glanced down at his blood-stained hands. "They're gonna get mad at me, huh?"

Tina and Artie didn't get a chance to reply, because the ambulance sped into view, squealing as it turned into the parking lot. Tina clasped her hands together, and Artie rubbed her elbow soothingly.

A paramedic jumped out of the car and approached the kids. "Who's hurt?"

"In here," Finn said, motioning down to Kurt. The paramedic kept a stoic face, but Finn could tell that he was disgusted that someone would leave a kid to bleed in a dumpster.

"Alright, kid, I need you to get out of the way. Are you hurt?" He asked, motioning to the blood on Finn's hand from Kurt's head.

"No. It's his."

The paramedic nodded, and was joined by two others. They hoisted Kurt carefully from the dumpster and onto a stretcher. Artie and Tina watched sadly, and Finn's gut felt like it was filled with ice. This wouldn't be the end of Sean's reign; Tina and Artie were weird, a goth and a nerd, and they were almost as low as Kurt on McKinley's food chain. Surely they'd be next for the pickin'.

"Are any of you coming with him?" The female paramedic asked kindly, but hurriedly. "We need to get goin'."

Tina and Artie both shook their heads. But something rose up in Finn, growling and snarling and terrified. "I am."

Tina and Artie looked as shocked as Finn felt. The paramedic ushered him into the ambulance, letting him ride in the back with Kurt, as long as he stayed out of the way. He did just that, feeling sicker and sicker as they worked on Kurt, stemming the blood flow and cleaning the wound. Finn closed his eyes and tried to ignore the soft, concise words volleyed between the two paramedics. In no time, they had arrived at the hospital.

Kurt was rushed inside, leaving Finn to wander awkwardly into the waiting room. It was a slow night, with only a mother and her injured child and a guy who looked like he had tried to use an electric can opener while drunk. Finn talked with the nurse at her station a little, explaining his situation, and she promised to come get him when the doctor gave Kurt the all clear.

"You're his family, right?" She asked sweetly. He nodded.

"He's my brother." The lie rolled off his tongue easily.

"Alright. I'll call you when he's up for visitors." She paused, noticing the distress in his face. "Don't worry, I'm sure your brother will be fine."

Finn nodded absently, sitting in a seat far away from the nurses' station. Making sure the nurse was out of earshot, he pulled out his phone and hit speed dial.

"Finn? Is practice over? I thought you were finding a ride home."

"I'm at the hospital."

"What? Are you hurt?"

"No, Ma. I..." He lowered his voice. "A friend got hurt. I went with him to the hospital, but I'll need a ride home."

"Oh, thank god. How's your friend?"

"I don't know, they won't let me in yet. I had to tell them he was my brother."

"Okay, I get off work in an hour, then I'll come get you."

"Thanks, Ma."

"Love you, sweetie."

"Love you, too."

Finn hung up, hands trembling. He sat like that forever, wondering vaguely if he was going into shock. He knew the older guys liked to push kids around - you were supposed to do that when you were on top. But it all had always seemed so harmless to him. He never thought they would hurt someone.

"Kid?" He looked up to see the nurse smiling at him. "Your brother's awake. Though he doesn't seem to remember he even has a brother..." She smirked at him. He looked down sheepishly.

"Head injury?"

"You're cute, so I'll let it slide by saying you're stepbrothers. Follow me," she whispered, winking at him. Finn smiled, and eagerly followed her back to the ER rooms.

The nurse pushed back a curtain, motioning for Finn to go past her. "He's in here." Then, more quietly. "Brothers my ass. You two look nothing alike."

Finn shrugged and gave her his most charming smile, and she patted his arm as she left. Kurt looked up, eyes wide and fearful. "What are you doing here?" He asked, voice raspy.

"I'm not going to hurt you," Finn said, holding his hands up. "I'm the one who found you. In the dumpster."

Kurt blinked in confusion. "And you called 9-1-1?"

Finn shrugged. "Well, technically Artie called 9-1-1, but after I started shouting for help."

Kurt fell silent, and Finn wondered if his presence wasn't welcome, seeing as he was a football player and all. As he contemplated leaving, he heard a soft voice say, "Thank you."

"No problem." Finn sat on the edge of Kurt's bed, smiling happily at him. Kurt blushed.

"You're his brother?" A doctor asked skeptically as she came in. "Really?"

"Stepbrother," Finn pretended to amend. Kurt looked bewildered, but nodded in agreement.

"Are your parents on the way?"

"No."

"Yes."

Kurt and Finn answered at the same time. Finn quickly added, "My mom's coming. His stepmother. She'll be here soon."

"I'm here now." Finn turned around to see his mother standing behind him. Next to her was the friendly nurse, who gave him another wink. "How's my stepson?"

"Lucky," the doctor said, tapping her fingers on the clipboard in front of her. "If his brother hadn't found him, the cut could have gotten infected or he could have even bled to death in that dumpster. But we stitched up his head-" Kurt pouted. "-and as long as one of you wakes him up every hour for the next twenty-four hours, his concussion will be fine."

"So we can take him home now?" Mrs. Hudson asked, rubbing circles into Finn's shoulder. He relaxed at the touch.

"Once you fill out this paperwork." The doctor held up her clipboard. Carole moved to take it, but Kurt spoke quickly.

"I'll fill out."

The doctor gave Mrs. Hudson a look, but she shrugged and said, "He's very independent."

The doctor sighed and handed the clipboard to Kurt, rambling on about coming back in a few weeks to have the stitches removed and being careful about re-injuring his head and such. Mrs. Hudson glanced up at her son.

"Care to tell me what happened?"

Finn sighed. "I saw some of the older guys on the team bullying him. They threw him in the dumpster and when I went to go help him out, I saw that he had hit his head on the side and was bleeding. Artie and Tina called the ambulance and I wanted to come with him 'cause I was worried about him."

Mrs. Hudson smiled lovingly at her son. "Do you even know his last name?"

Finn blushed. "I didn't know his first name until Tina told it to me. I've never met him before in my life."

Mrs. Hudson wrapped her arms tightly around Finn, inflated by the warm, fuzzy "proud mama" feeling that filled her heart. "You're such a sweetheart, Finnegan. Don't ever change."

"He's ready to go home now," the doctor said, taking up the paperwork from Kurt. "Let me get the nurse."

The same friendly nurse who had let both Carole and Finn in came by to help Kurt into a wheelchair. She rolled him out into the parking lot, chatting happily with the Hudsons.

"Have a nice night, Kurt," she said, smiling sweetly at him. "Try not to fall into any more dumpsters, okay?" She turned to Finn, sticking her finger in his chest. "You watch out for him, mister. I don't wanna see him back in this ER again!"

They bid her a goodnight, then Kurt turned to Mrs. Hudson awkwardly. "Um, could you give me a ride to my house? I sort of missed the bus home..."

Carole smiled fondly at him. "No can do, kiddo."

Kurt looked confused and put-off and a little scared. "Excuse me?"

The older woman opened up the passenger-side door, motioning for him to get in. "You can't spend the night alone, tonight, sweetie. And I heard you mention to the doctor that your father was out of town…?"

Kurt didn't move. "Yes, he's on a plane to North Dakota right now for some Great Uncle's funeral. But I'll be fine, really. I can just set an alarm to go off every hour."

"I don't think so." Carole placed her hands on her hips, smirking. "You can come stay with us tonight?"

Finn thought is was really weird that his mom was offering to house a stranger, but he supposed it was the polite thing to do. His mom was really good at knowing stuff like that.

"I really couldn't impose," Kurt said, wobbling a bit on his feet. Finn grabbed his shoulder to steady him.

"Dude, arguing with Mom is like chugging an entire liter of stale root beer – don't do it," he said, grinning at his mother.

"If it's not too much trouble…?" Kurt's voice was small, and he shrugged Finn's hand off of his shoulder. Carole beamed.

"Not at all. We can take you home tomorrow morning."

Kurt started on a tirade of gratitude as Finn helped him into the passenger seat, and it continued as Carole pulled out of the parking lot.

A tri-tone beeping came from the backseat as they sped down the highway. Finn pulled out his phone, surprised to see a text from an unknown number.

_hey, its artie. got ur nmbr from puckerman. grabbed kurts bag after u 2 left. tell him ill swing by his dads shop 2morrow 12 to give it 2 him. hows he doin?_

Finn relayed the message to Kurt, then typed out a reply.

_kurt says thnx, man. hes doin ok. got stitches in his head & a concussion. but hes arguin w/ my mom so I thnk hes gettin better._

As they pulled up to the Hudson house, Kurt paled. "I don't have anything to sleep in," he confided in Carole. She rolled her eyes.

"Finn'll get you something to wear. Are you hungry? I don't have anything made, but we could order a pizza."

Kurt smiled. "Yeah, I am a little hungry. Pizza's good."

Finn whooped, punching his fist into the air. "Awesome!"

Carole locked the car and hurried inside to place the order. Kurt followed, but a sudden dizzy spell came over him and he stumbled backwards. Finn rushed forward and caught the smaller boy in his arms, chest to back. Kurt was just so tiny and warm and soft that a sudden longing to never let go came over Finn, giving him a bit of a shock.

"Thanks," Kurt mumbled, face bright red. Finn let go as soon as the kid was stabilized.

"Uh, no problem." They awkwardly entered the house, listening to Carole place the order.

"Cheese alright?" She called from the kitchen. Kurt nodded.

"Um, yeah!" Finn shouted for the both of them. "Cheese is fine!"

"So, uh, do you wanna change your clothes? They're kind of bloody and covered in garbage…" Finn asked, running a hand through his hair. Kurt nodded.

Finn led Kurt up the stairs to his room, pulling out a clean t-shirt and pair pajama pants that ran a little on the small side for Finn. "Here," he said, handing them to Kurt. "The bathroom's next door."

"Thanks." That seemed to be the only thing Kurt could say to Finn. As he turned, Finn caught a glimpse of the gash in Kurt's head and the stitches holding it together. He sucked in a big gulp of air, stunned.

"Ugly, isn't it?" Kurt asked, not turning around. "And they had to shave part of my head. My hair won't look right for ages."

"God, Kurt, I'm so sorry-" Kurt held up his hand.

"It's not your fault. My dad warned me that wearing a woman's sweater to school could end disastrously.

Finn nodded in agreement, then thought of something. "Have you called your dad yet?"

Kurt turned around at that point, sighing heavily. "No. I'll call him in the morning, tell him I slipped and hit my head. Not sure how I'll explain the shiner, but I'll think of something."

"You're not telling him the truth?" Finn was stunned – surely Kurt would get his parents to storm down to the school and report every meathead he could name.

"Of course not. My dad doesn't need to know about senseless bullying. He has enough to worry about."

Finn sat down on his bed. "Does he know you're…?"

"I'm what?" Kurt's face was hardened, unreadable.

"Gay?" The word was whispered, as if a taboo. Kurt's jaw stiffened.

"I'm not gay."

"Oh." Finn wasn't sure if he believed Kurt, but he went with it.

"I'm going to go get dressed now," Kurt announced, walking briskly from the room. Finn watched him leave, then buried his face in his hands. He didn't know why, but fatigue was suddenly washing over him. So much had happened in the past couple of hours, and Finn felt like his entire world was changing. Wasn't he supposed to hate the gay kid and side with his football buddies? Yeah, he was, if he wanted to stay on top of the pyramid. Then why did he feel this burning hatred for the Brothers Karofsky? And why did he want to hold Kurt – a kid he'd just met and whose entire life was a complete mystery to him – and never let go?

"Your mom's calling us." Finn looked up to see Kurt standing in the doorway, face scrubbed clean, hair brushed, and body absolutely _drowning_ in Finn's clothes. One sleeve was threatening to slip off of Kurt's slender shoulder, revealing a long, pale expanse of skin. Finn's face felt hot.

"Okay." He stood and followed the boy downstairs, face still flushed. Kurt took the small stack of plates and napkins from Carole's hands, and started setting the table. She tried to reprimand him, but Kurt dodged her outstretched hands, laughing. It was the first time Finn ever saw Kurt smile, and it was the most beautiful thing he'd ever seen.

Finn found his feet carrying him from the room, back upstairs to the bathroom. He absently splashed cold water on his face and shook his head a couple of times. Boys weren't pretty. Girls were. Boys like Kurt were _wrong_. Everyone knew that. Boys liked girls and girls liked boys. It was simple.

Cooled down, Finn traipsed back down the stairs, where his mom was opening a big box of pizza and Kurt was filling up glasses of water.

"Make Finn's milk, would you, hun?" Carole eyed Finn knowingly, then put on a teasing grin. "I want my baby boy to grow up big and strong, don't I?"

"I think he's already there," Kurt said, tipping the carton over an empty glass. "Any more and he won't fit in the house."

Carole gave a hoot, patting Kurt on the arm. "Who knew there was so much sass underneath such an innocent face?"

Kurt seemed unused to the affection and attention Mrs. Hudson was giving him, and Finn wondered idly what his parents were like. Carole plopped two pieces down on her own plate, turning to Finn. "Three, for starters?"

Finn nodded, sitting down as far from Kurt as was socially acceptable, and took the pieces gratefully. Carole seemed to notice, but ignored her son for the time being.

"Kurt?"

He smiled. "Just one, thanks."

"Seriously, dude?" Finn was stunned; three pieces was, like, an _appetizer_ for him.

"I'm watching my weight," Kurt replied simply, as if it was obvious that he needed to. Finn, on the other hand, was of the opinion that he could stand to _gain_ a few pounds.

Carole rolled her eyes. "Finn can eat an entire pizza by himself."

Kurt wrinkled his nose in a way that made Finn's heart speed up. "Ew."

"I know."

To avoid blurting out something stupid, Finn stuffed his face with pizza, scowling at the plate. Kurt and his mom chatted lightly, talking about shopping and movies and hairstyles.

"I guess I'm going to have to cut all of mine off, now," he heard Kurt say. "I'll miss having bangs." It was such a pity, really, since Kurt's hair was so pretty-

"I gotta pee." Finn announced eloquently. His mother sighed in irritation. Kurt just bit his lip like he had just seen a barrel of puppies covered in glitter or something. Finn didn't stop to think about that face. He just needed to escape.

He locked the bathroom door behind him and sank to floor, tired and excited and freaked out and angry, all at the same time. When he went after Kurt that afternoon, he expected to be rid of the stranger by now, not clothing him and feeding him and taking him in like an adorable lost puppy.

Adorable? Pretty? Beautiful? That was Finn's next problem! Why couldn't he think about Kurt like he would with any other guy? Sure he was tiny and girly and weird, but that didn't mean he wasn't a _guy_! And Finn was _not_ into guys.

The weird thing was, Finn had never really seen a problem with gay people. In elementary school he'd met Rachel's two dads, and aside from the fact that their daughter was a psychopath, there had been nothing wrong with them. And Neil Patrick Harris was a pretty cool dude, even though he liked kissing guys and shit.

But now, Finn couldn't help feeling _freaked out_ by the fact that the resident gay kid was sleeping in his house. What if he tried to kiss Finn? Or sleep in the same bed as Finn? Or-

_Stop that. _He told himself. _That's mean. Kurt hasn't tried to do anything to you. Why is this bothering you so much_?

Finn sighed, and rubbed his eyes with the heel of his hand. He was just tired and a little in shock – he'd never seen so much blood that wasn't his own before, and he'd never witness such an act of violence that wasn't in video games. (Was it a hate crime? He thought those only counted if the victim was black, but something told Finn he was being an idiot again.)

"Finn?" It was his mom. "Are you feeling alright?"

Finn stood up and took a deep breath before opening the bathroom door. His mother looked partly worried and partly disappointed.

"Yeah. Just…long day."

She pursed her lips. "Kurt isn't making you uncomfortable, is he?"

Finn's eyes widened; his mother was psychic.

She continued in a hushed voice. "Because being gay isn't wrong, Finn, and I hope that I taught you better than to hate someone for something they can't control. When he leaves, I want the names of every player you can remember who took part in the bullying and I'm going to march into Principal Higgen's-"

"Figgens."

"Whatever. I will march down to that school and get every one of those boys expelled, you hear me? Because that kind of behavior is _unacceptable_, and if I _ever_ catch wind of you participating in that kind of thing, I will whip you so hard-"

"Ma!" Finn's mother had never hit or spanked him – ever – so the threat was enough to make him realize how dead serious she was. "I'm fine with Kurt. He won't even admit that he's gay. And I would never- I mean, it was just so- you should have seen the blood."

Her face softened, and she pulled her son into a hug. "I'm sorry, Finn. I'm just so angry about what those boys did to him. He's such a sweetheart, and I've only known him for a few hours. If only they could see what we see…"

Finn kissed his mother's cheek. "Don't worry, Mom. I won't let them hurt him again." There he went, with his irrational urge to shield Kurt from the world.

She smiled at him. "How about I go pick us up some ice cream?"

He led her down the stairs, into the kitchen where Kurt was cleaning up. Carole slapped at his hands until he backed off, and she made Finn do the rest. Finn looked at his mother hopefully. "Rocky Road?"

Her eyes flickered to their guest. "What flavor would _you_ like, Kurt?"

He blushed, sneaking a glance at Finn. "Rocky Road is fine."

"Alright. I'll go grab a tub of Rocky Road." She leaned in and kissed Finn's cheek, then pecked Kurt's gently. "See you boys in a few! Don't burn the house down!"

Kurt sat back down at the kitchen table, face pale. Finn cocked his head and asked, "What's wrong?"

"Nothing," Kurt murmured, running a hand through his bangs. "Just…a little dizzy."

Finn set down the soapy dishes, wiped off his hands, and helped Kurt stand back up. "C'mon," he said gently. "Go sit down in the living room. It's comfier there."

Kurt let himself be pushed into the next room without protest, gingerly sitting down on the squashy old sofa. Finn stood awkwardly for a second, then asked, "Wanna watch a movie?"

Kurt's eyes fluttered, and Finn remembered that he was on some serious pain meds. "Sure thing, Frankenteen."

"Frankenteen?" Finn couldn't help but laugh at the new nickname. "Seriously?"

"It fits," Kurt said slyly, curling his legs underneath himself. "Go, shoo, pick a movie."

Finn dug through his meager DVD collection. _Transformers?_ Nah, seen it too many times. _The Notebook?_ Kurt might enjoy it, but it belonged to Finn's mom, therefore, Finn hated it. _Willow_? No one would _ever_ know about his obsession with that movie as long as he lived.

"Toy Story?" Finn wasn't sure what possessed him to offer a kids' movie, but a lot of things were surprising him tonight. Kurt smiled.

"Sure."

"Cool." Finn popped it in to their old VCR player, watching as it happily flickered to life. He plopped down next to Kurt, fast-forwarding through the decade-old ads. "Buzz Lightyear was always my favorite."

Kurt chuckled. "Woody was always mine. And Bo Peep, 'cause she's so pretty. But mostly Woody."

Finn smirked. "I always wanted to be Andy, and have such great adventures with my toys. Being an only child got lonely sometimes."

Kurt nodded. "Can't argue with you there. But, for me, I guess it's better that I was an only."

"Why's that?" Finn asked quietly.

"'Cause only one child had to lose his mother that way."

Finn felt the air rush out of his lungs. He should have suspected, from the way Kurt only talked about his dad, that his mom wasn't in the picture. A terrible sadness welled up in Finn.

"How did she die?" He asked, scooting a little closer. Kurt's eyes shimmered, but he didn't cry.

"Cancer. I was eight."

Finn rubbed the boy's shoulder for a moment, before coming to his senses and pulling away. "My dad died when I was a baby. Iraq."

Kurt turned to his savior, eyes wide. "I'm sorry."

"He died a hero." Finn shrugged, like it was no big deal, but it still hurt his heart to think about. "I'm sorry about your mom."

"Thanks."

They sat in silence as the familiar tune started playing. "_You've got a friend in me. You've got a friend in me. When the road looks rough up ahead, and you're miles and miles from your nice warm bed…"_

"This song always makes me super happy and super sad at the same time, you know?" Finn said, humming along. "It messes with my emotions."

Kurt chuckled, peering over at Finn. "Thanks for what you did today. I know it probably isn't good for your reputation to stand up for the local fag, but I appreciate not being left in a dumpster to bleed to death." Finn paled at that prospect, and Kurt babbled on awkwardly. "And your mom has been so nice to me. I mean, ridiculously nice. I'm going to have to take her on a spa date or shopping or something."

Finn blinked, giving Kurt a _are-you-sure-you're-not-gay?_ look. Luckily for both of them, Carole came bustling in at that moment, arms laden with a tub of ice cream, chocolate sauce, whipped cream, and sprinkles. "I'll make you boys some sundaes! Don't get up, let me dote on you." Kurt blushed at her coddling; Finn wondered if he was feeling like Harry Potter being babied by Mrs. Weasley.

Kurt turned his attention on the movie, a small smile forming on his face as he watched the toys run around in a frenzy, making funny jokes and spitting out witty one-liners that Finn didn't really understand, but made Kurt giggle.

Kurt laughing was possibly the cutest thing ever. His blue (or were they green?) eyes sparkled and his rosy cheeks grew bigger with his smile. His nose crinkled, making him look like a kitten, and Finn just wanted to cuddle him and- _hold the fuck up_.

No. Finn's mom was right, being gay was cool and all, but Finn was a straight, manly man. Men did not cuddle. Not unless they were forced to by their girlfriends. Who were girls. Not other guys.

"Here you kids go," Carole handed them both big bowls of ice cream, smothered in whipped cream and chocolate sauce and decorated with sprinkles. Kurt looked torn between eating the whole thing and complaining about his weight. Finn dug in immediately, dribbling chocolate down his chin.

Carole retreated to the kitchen to do the dishes (_score!_ That was usually Finn's job!), humming some song or another. Kurt looked over at Finn, and tried not to laugh.

"You've got chocolate on your face."

Finn licked around his lips, reaching every bit of skin he could. Kurt rolled his eyes.

"No, here, let me-" He reached over and used the pad of his thumb to clean Finn's chin. To Finn, it felt like a spark jumped between their skin at the touch, and his heart started racing.

Kurt looked a little shaken, and pulled his hand back immediately. Finn saw that his eyes were dilated and his breathing was uneven. Hands shaking, Finn went back to his ice cream, but suddenly his appetite was severely decreased. Kurt was taking tiny little bites of his, licking his lips after every spoonful. The cold from the ice cream made those lips pink and a little plump, transfixing Finn's gaze.

"What?" Kurt asked, eyes wide. "Do I some on my face, too?"

Finn nodded, though it was a lie. Trying his hardest to steady his hand, he brushed his thumb across Kurt's pretty (dammit!) lips, ignoring the voice in his head chanting "_not gay, not gay, not gay_."

Kurt's eyes fluttered closed, and Finn pulled his hand back before he did something stupid. Both the boys settled back into their original positions, ignoring Carole's singing from the kitchen as they pretended to watch _Toy Story_.

:-:

When the movie ended, Kurt was half-asleep. Finn turned off the TV, and noticed his mom had slipped out a while ago, probably to go sleep herself.

"Kurt…" he whispered, poking the boy's shoulder. "Time to sleep."

Kurt stood shakily, blinking with fatigue, and Finn made a mental note to set the alarm on his phone to an hour from now. He led Kurt to his bedroom, suddenly embarrassed by the mess.

"So, you can take my bed, tonight. I'll just go crash on the couch," he said, clearing his dirty clothes and papers from the bed. "I know it's not much, but it'll work for tonight."

Kurt smiled sadly up at Finn. "The other guys would kill you if they found out I stayed in your bed, wouldn't they?"

A small part of him was dreading the day the others found out about it, yes, but a greater part of him remembered that those guys were douche bags who thought nearly getting people killed was funny.

"So what?" Finn fluffed up his pillow and pulled back the covers for Kurt, who crawled in sorely, the day finally catching up with him. "They don't matter."

Kurt looked at him strangely. "For a football player, you're pretty cool, Finn."

Finn chuckled. "For a geek, you're pretty awesome, Kurt."

Kurt beamed, and shuffled his body under the covers some more. He would never admit it, but being surrounded by the scent of Finn was intoxicating and soothing. Not that he was gay. He _wasn't_.

Finn pulled out his phone and set the alarm, then stood awkwardly in the room, hands in his pockets. "Do you need anything?"

"I don't think so," Kurt said, voice subdued. "Finn, seriously, I can't thank you enough for everything."

"Then stop trying, dude." Finn sat down on the bed, leaning against the headboard. It wouldn't hurt to rest a little here before going downstairs, would it?

Carole popped her head into Finn's room an hour later, making sure they woke Kurt up. Finn was slumped against the back of the bed, Kurt curled innocently against his chest. Both were so peaceful looking that she felt bad about having to wake them.

Finn's alarm went off and they both stirred, sleepy and embarrassed. Carole slipped back out before they even saw her.

Every hour that she came back, they were back in the same sleeping arrangement. Carole Hudson wasn't sure if she should be proud of her son or have a nice, long talk to him about his sexuality. Either way, Kurt and Finn were possibly the cutest things she had ever seen.

Hopefully (if she had her way), they would stay like that for a long time.

:-:

**Up next: Burt comes home, Kurt goes back to school, and Quinn gets really, really pissy. **

**Please review!**


	2. Chapter 2

**It was pointed out to me that, as freshmen, Finn and Kurt were talking about driving. Oops! All fixed now! This chapter's shorter, but get used to that. I'm not a patient writer.**

:-:

_i built a monument_  
><em>for the love we used to know<em>

:-:

_but that is far removed,_  
><em>and you say that i'm gonna be okay<em>

:-:

_and yeah, i'm gonna be okay._  
><em>but it doesn't seem that way<em>

:-:

_no love, not today_

:-:

Finn walked into the school the next Monday feeling anxious. Since Kurt had gone home on Saturday, they'd only talked a couple of times via text messaging. Upon hearing about his son's injury – accident, if Kurt had stuck to his lie – Mr. Hummel had threatened to fly back to Ohio immediately, but Kurt kept him away with carefully crafted reassurances.

The moment he walked into first period, though, he was quickly sent away by his teacher, Mr. Thorton. "The office called for you before the bell even rang. It's not like you would have stayed awake for my lecture anyway."

Finn ambled down the hallway to Principal Figgins' office, wondering what on Earth he could have done this time. Maybe he was being called in as a character witness for Puck. Puck practically lived in that office.

"Mom?" Finn paused by the door, confused. Did something happen? Was Grandma in the hospital? Did their family win the lottery? Had the (inevitable) zombie apocalypse started? "What are you doing here?"

His mother sat across from the principal, anger clear on her face. "I was just telling Mr. Figgens – can I call you Shankar? – I was just telling Shankar here about those boys who attacked Kurt on Friday."

"Oh." Finn really wasn't an eloquent person.

"And your mother said that you had names?" Figgins asked, eyes skeptical. Finn nodded slowly.

"Um, yeah, a few… They won't find out it was me who ratted, will they?"

Figgins shook his head. "This is completely confidential."

Finn sat down, dumping his bag on the floor. His mother looked on expectantly.

"Well…there was Azimio – Glenn Azimio – and Marcus Strando, Jacob Littlefield, Austin Keehn, J.R. Ripley, um…what's his name? Powers. Jimmy Powers, that's it. But they all just shouted at Kurt and didn't stop anything from happening. The main guy was Sean Karofsky, and his brother Dave. They were the ones to throw Kurt into the dumpster, and Sean was the one to punch him."

Figgins steepled his fingers. "I see. Well, thank you Finn, Mrs. Hudson. I'll look into this accusation, and see these boys are properly punished." Carole stood, a victorious grin on her face. Finn stood with her and grabbed his bag from the ground.

"No, thank _you_, Shankar," Mrs. Hudson said, smiling a little too warmly to be genuine. She shook the bewildered principal's hand, then strode out of his office, Finn on her heels.

Finn walked his mom to the front doors silently. She noted the hush that surrounded them, and leaned in to tell her son, "Take care of him, okay?"

An inexplicable lump rose in Finn's throat, and he could barely whisper, "I will," to his mother. She pressed a kiss to his cheek, then walked out the doors to leave Finn standing all alone in the hallway. Finn slouched back to class, stricken with a tidal wave of emotions he couldn't even put a name to. Mr. Thorton didn't even look up when his missing pupil returned. He was right; Finn didn't plan on paying attention.

:-:

"Finn."

Finn looked up to see Kurt standing next to his locker, entire being trimmed and coifed to perfection. His hair – as promised – was cropped short. Finn liked the look on him, surprisingly. It made the small boy look older, and didn't take away from his natural beauty –

Anyways. Finn liked it, and he told Kurt as such (but with fewer incriminating adjectives; didn't want Kurt getting any ideas…). The smaller boy blushed, and thanked Finn.

"My dad wanted to thank you and your mom for all your help after my _accident_," Kurt said in a light tone. Finn didn't miss the emphasis on the word 'accident,' or the pain in Kurt's voice as he said it. "So he told me to tell you that any car work you need done – anything at _all_ – he'll do it for free."

"Your dad knows cars?" Finn didn't know what he was expecting of Mr. Hummel (an overgrown man in form-fitting sweaters and pageboy caps?), but handyman was not high on the list.

"He's a mechanic," Kurt said, smirking at the shock in Finn's voice. "Owns _Hummel's Tires and Lube_. Oh, don't be surprised," he said, voice tinkling with laughter. "Is it that hard to imagine someone that butch spawning little ol' me?"

"Uh…" Finn wasn't sure of the right answer here, but he just shrugged. "I guess I just expected your dad to be…I don't know, a fashion designer or something."

Kurt snorted, and Finn wanted to die from the cuteness. "Please. My father thinks flannel and trucker hats are acceptable to wear in public."

"They aren't…?"

"'Sup, fags?" One of the older guys from the team – Strando, maybe? – shoved past Finn and Kurt, flipping them a crude hand gesture. Finn blinked in shock. Kurt didn't even seem to notice.

"Well, I've got to get to class. Tell your mom about my dad's offer, okay?" Kurt smiled at Finn, then turned to go to Biology. Finn saw Artie wheeling in that direction, and he didn't miss the way Kurt seemed to thank the boy for assisting in his rescue. Artie just smiled and patted Kurt's arm, and the two lab partners walked (rolled) off together into the crowd.

"_Finn_."

Quinn Fabray walked into his line of sight, hands on her hips. And – oh – she looked mad.

"You can't talk to him."

"Why not?" Finn didn't get it. He had only just started dating Quinn, but she always seemed so sweet to him. Maybe she was jealous of Kurt, since Kurt was practically an honorary girl, and Quinn got mad whenever Finn talked to other girls, but that didn't make sense because totally wasn't gay—

"Because he's a loser."

Anger swelled in Finn. "Hey, back off!" Quinn looked startled. "You know, he's pretty cool once you get to talking to him."

The blonde cheerleader scowled some more. "That's the problem, Finn. _Talking to him_. Doing that will ruin your reputation, and if you want to be quarterback next year-"

"Reputation has nothing to do with what the coach decides!" Finn threw his hands into the air.

"It does when the quarterback has to be a leader, and you won't be able to lead _anyone_ because your respectability has gone down the drain," Quinn hissed, poking her finger in Finn's chest. "And without the quarterback boyfriend, how will I snatch the position of head cheerleader?"

Finn blinked, trying to ignore Quinn's logic. That was how McKinley worked; popularity was _everything_.

"I guess you're right…" He relented.

"Of course I am." Quinn smoothed down her skirt. "So, you aren't going to talk to weirdoes anymore?"

"I guess not…" Finn pouted, looking at the ground. Quinn hummed triumphantly and gave him a drawn-out, chaste kiss on the lips.

"I'll see you at lunch," she told him flirtatiously. Finn nodded like an idiot as his girlfriend left, trying to ignore the guilt swelling up in his gut.

:-:

Avoiding Kurt was a lot harder than he thought it would be. The boy only fell (was thrown) into Finn's life a few days ago, but now that he was there, he was there to _stay_.

Finn was walking out of the cafeteria, Quinn on his arm, when he heard the shouting. A teacher passed by without bothering to investigate. Finn sped up his pace, dragging Quinn with him down the hallway.

Sean Karofsky had Kurt pinned against a locker as he shouted profanity at the smaller boy. Kurt held his chin up, but Finn could see the pain in his eyes. The Protector (as Finn had taken to calling him) rose up, filling Finn's being with anger and courage and the primal need to bash some heads in. All he needed was some blue paint and he was ready to go Braveheart on someone's ass.

That someone happened to be Sean, who was screaming, "-faggot! Now I have detention! For a whole fucking month! Just 'cause you're a pussy who can't handle a little roughhousing-"

Kurt growled at the large boy. "I didn't rat you out, Karofsky. There _were_ witnesses, you know."

Sean raised his fist in the air menacingly. "I'm gonna pummel you into tomorrow, you fuckin' homo."

Finn thought that would crack Kurt for sure, but the small boy just smirked at Sean and paused for a second, before spitting directly in his face.

"Oops. Hope you don't 'catch the gay.'"

"_WHY YOU LITTLE-_"

Finn decided it was time for The Protector to gallop in and save the day. Pushing Quinn back a little, he stormed forward, shoving Karofsky to the side. "Leave him alone!"

Sean wiped the spit off his face, glaring at the two boys. "Oh, you a fag, too, Hudson? Figures. Seen you peepin' in the locker room."

"God, just shut up!" Finn shouted, using his height and volume as a scare tactic. "He already had to go to the emergency room once this week! Just leave the kid alone!"

"Bumpin' uglies with the faggot, eh, Finn?" Sean spat out hatefully. "You make me sick."

Finn just snapped. Without a second thought, he dove towards Sean, fists blazing. He was centimeters from the older student when a pair of soft, surprisingly strong hands held him back.

"Don't." Kurt's voice was soft, but commanding. "He's not worth it."

"Like hell he is!" Finn shouted, struggling to attack Sean. Kurt huffed.

"Everyone's staring, Finn. _Go to class!_" He shouted the last part, looking around at all the spectators. "There's nothing to see here!"

The crowd slowly started dissipating. Sean brushed off his letterman jacket and stormed off, posse on his heels. As the tormentor turned the corner, Kurt let go of Finn, sighing heavily.

"Are you okay?" Finn asked quickly, checking out the back of Kurt's head. The stitches were in place, no extra injury to be seen.

"Yeah…" Kurt murmured. "Thanks. Again."

"No problem. Really." Finn ran a hand through his hair awkwardly. Kurt blushed, and looked away.

"Finn Hudson!" They both looked over at Quinn, who had stormed up to Finn and slapped his arm. "Are you an _idiot_?"

"Um…is that a trick question?" Finn shot a look at Kurt, who was trying (and failing) to mask his expression of disgust towards the cheerleader.

"No, you buffoon!" She slapped his arm again. "Are you _trying_ to completely destroy your reputation?"

"He was gonna hurt Kurt again!" Finn defended, hands in the air.

"You completely disobeyed me! What did I tell you _not_ to do?" Quinn was absolutely fuming.

"You told me not to talk to the gay kid," Finn said, a dangerous calmness in his voice. "You told me not to talk to the loser, because it would make me look bad. But what you meant was, it would make _you_ look bad."

Kurt's eyes widened in pain, pained by the harsh words. Quinn gasped.

"Finn-"

"We're through."

Quinn gaped like a fish. "Excuse me?"

"We. Are. Through." Finn took a deep breath to calm himself. "Go find yourself a new pet, Quinn, 'cause I refuse to be used by you anymore."

There was a moment of absolute silence in the hallway – the calm before the storm – and then Quinn was practically screaming in anger and frustration, storming away. A path cleared for her, frantic students pushing each other into lockers to escape Hurricane Quinn. Kurt could have sworn he saw steam coming from her ears.

"I'd worry for your safety if I were you," he told Finn quietly. The tall boy shrugged.

"I can handle Sean."

Kurt snorted a little (_adorable)_ and said, "I was talking about Quinn. I think she might eat you."

"That's what she said!" Finn cried, practically doubling over with laughter. He held out his hand for a high-five, but Kurt just stared at him condescendingly. Finn lowered his hand.

"Or, you know, _not_."

Kurt giggled, smiling up at Finn. "You're so weird."

"Didn't I see that shirt in the women's section of Banana Republic?" He countered with a teasing grin.

"Nordstrom's, actually. And fashion has no gender."

And thus Kurt and Finn fell into an incredibly odd friendship.

:-:

"Burt Hummel?"

Burt looked up from the cash register. "Sorry, ma'am, we just closed up for the day. You'll have to come back tomorrow."

The woman smiled. "Oh, no, I'm not here about my car, though I do plan on taking you up on your offer." He gave her a confused look. "I'm here about your son."

"You must be Mrs. Hudson," Burt said, extending his hand. "Thank you so much for what you did for my son after his accident."

"It was no problem at all. He's a perfect little angel. But…about the accident…"

She paused, and Burt felt something in his gut ice over. He knew that tone; he knew that look in her eyes.

"It wasn't an accident."

"What?"

Carole looked sad. "My son, Finn, witnessed a group of boys harassing Kurt before two threw him into a dumpster. He cracked his head on the dumpster's edge."

Burt paled, and steadied himself on the front desk. "And the shiner?"

"One of them punched him."

"Thank you for telling me this, Carole," Burt said slowly. "I don't know why Kurt didn't tell me, but…I swear to God, I'm going to march down to that school, march down to that Principal's _house_, if I have to, and tell him-"

Carole interrupted him. "I already did."

"Really?" That surprised Burt. "And?"

Carole Hudson let out a heavy sigh, and a look of irritation settled on her face. "Finn tells me that the two boys who actually did physical damage to Kurt have a months-worth of detention. The others got off without charge."

"What?" Burt clenched his fists. "That's unacceptable!"

"I know." Carole crossed her arms, giving Burt a small smirk. "When you didn't storm down to the school earlier, I assumed that you either weren't back in town, or you didn't know." She paused, then said, "I'm going back to the school tomorrow."

"Well I'll sure as hell be there! Those boys can't get away with this!"

"Oh, no. Not when faced with our combined forces. We'll be unstoppable."

Burt grinned at this woman, appreciating her feisty attitude. "So are we a team now?"

"Only if you're ready to kick ass."

:-:

That night, Finn dreamed of Kurt for the first time. The small boy was spread out underneath a tree, pale skin glowing gold under the beaming sun. Leaves fluttered down, landing in the grass silently.

"Thank you," Kurt whispered, in that beautiful, lyrical voice of his. "Thank you."

Finn knelt beside him, and the world shook. Blood was pouring down Kurt's face now, and the tree was on fire.

"Help me."

Finn tried to stop the bleeding, but more cuts formed, intertwining across his skin like rivers. Lightening branched across the sky above their heads.

And then Finn was awake and panting and scared _shitless_. He grabbed his phone and dialed, not caring at it was three in morning and normal people were asleep at this hour.

After the fifth ring, a sleepy voice answered. "Hullo?"

"Kurt?" Every muscle in Finn's body was shaking, and it was evident in his voice. "I've got your back, okay?"

"What? Are you okay?"

"Yeah." Finn's voice was hoarse. Maybe he was screaming in his sleep. His mom had gotten used to that. "But from now on, I've got your back. No one's gonna touch you again, got it?"

He thought he something on Kurt's end – a choke? A laugh? A sob? – and then, "I appreciate that, Finn."

Finn smiled, settling back down against his pillow. "Sorry for waking you."

A chuckle, then a small sigh. "It's okay. I couldn't sleep all that well to begin with."

"Ah, well. Neither could I. Obviously."

"Have I told you how weird you are lately?"

"Only like five times today."

"Oh. Well have I told you how sweet you are lately?"

"Nope. You should tell me that now."

"You're a sweetheart, Finn Hudson. Don't change."

"Kurt?"

"Yes?"

"Thanks."


	3. Chapter 3

_:-:_

_'cause i was told to get out_  
><em>told to leave<em>

_:-:_

_told i have my things in the parking lot_  
><em>no, no, no, baby<em>

_:-:_

_yeah, just send me that ambulance_  
><em>oh, just send me that ambulance<em>

:-:

"Favorite superhero?"

"Batman."

"Really?"

"Have you _seen_ Christian Bale?"

"Uh-huh. You sure it's not 'cause the Joker was in that gay cowboy movie?"

"I'm not gay, Finn."

"Sure."

"I'm not. Favorite band?"

"Ooh, that's tough. Right now it's...REM."

"Funny. I pegged you as a Journey fanatic."

"Ooh! Can I change my answer?"

"Sure."

"Journey. They're bad-ass."

"I've always been partial to Don't Stop Believing."

"'Cause it's _awesome_! Alright...if you could live anywhere, where would you live?"

"New York. That's not even a question. I _will_ live in New York City one day."

"Really? It's so big!"

"Exactly! It's amazing!"

Finn and Kurt were sitting cross-legged in their hiding spot on the roof above the science wing. They'd been chased from the lunchroom by the football jackasses, and Kurt - an expert at escaping and hiding when needed - took Finn to his favorite spot. Kurt was eating some sort of fancy salad thing, and Finn had two whole PB&J sandwiches to himself, plus a bag of cheetos, a rice krispie treat, and an apple.

"What about you?" Kurt asked, eyebrow raised. "What are your aspirations for the future?"

Finn looked down and shrugged. "I guess I'll try to get a football scholarship, go to college. That'd make my mom proud." He sighed, leaning back against the railing. "I just don't wanna be a Lima Loser. I've thought about joining the army, but it would kill Mom to lose me to war, too."

"You're not a Lima Loser, Finn," Kurt murmured, face red.

"Thanks, man."

They sat in amiable silence for a bit, concentrating on their food. Suddenly, Kurt spoke up.

"You...you like music, right?"

Finn nodded dumbly, mouth full of Cheetos. "Yeah. I play drums. Puck and I tried to form a band last summer, but then he traded his amp for some booze and joints. Didn't even share with me..."

"You should join glee club with me." Kurt's face was still red, but he was stuttering less. "I mean, it's another extracurricular that's not a sport, and it would look good on your college transcripts..."

"Cool!" Finn beamed at his new friend. "What's a glee club?"

:-:

"Ah, I see we have a new member!" Mr. Ryerson cried cheerfully. "Absolutely wonderful!"

Kurt placed his hand on Finn's arm. "Everyone, this is Finn Hudson. He's our new tenor."

Mr. Ryerson threw his hands in the air ecstatically. "Perfect! Snaps for Mr. Hudson, everyone!"

The flamboyant teacher snapped loudly; the others did the bare minimum, except for a short, peppy brunette in a puppy-dog sweater.

"Welcome to glee club, Finn!" She cried. Kurt rolled his eyes. "I'm Rachel Berry, as you might remember since we've been going to school together since Pre-K, and I would just like to say that our humble little club is very lucky to have you joining our ranks!"

Finn nodded slowly. "Um...thanks."

Mr. Ryerson started blathering on about Broadway and Josh Groban and the kids took their seats: Rachel, in the front row all by herself, hanging onto the teacher's every word; A sassy-looking black girl in the second row, next to Kurt - Mercedes Jones, he remembered - with Finn next to Kurt; and the other boy, their bass Hank Suanders, sitting next to Finn, listening politely to Ryerson's spiel.

Having the three boys in a row seemed to be a bad idea, as it turned out. Ryerson's eyes never left their row as he rambled on, his gaze lingering on each male student for much longer than was socially acceptable. Hank seemed to bask in the attention, holding his head high like a prize horse. Finn shrank under the teacher's gaze, feeling very much a carnivore's prey. Kurt didn't notice, since he kept whispering with Mercedes, sending her into fits of silent laughter.

"This week I think we'll try something a little more...romantic," he said, passing out sheet music. Finn didn't miss the way Mr. Ryerson fumbled with the music a little, hands lingering on Kurt's. The Protector growled inside of Finn, but bided his time.

"_I'll Cover You_! A classic!" Rachel exclaimed, clapping her hands together.

"Mr. Ryerson, isn't this a duet?" Kurt asked. "I thought we were learning a group song."

Ryerson eyed Kurt flirtily. "I thought maybe we could have a competition. Of course, with Mister Tall, Dark, and Handsome amongst us, the numbers are uneven. Kurt!"

The small boy sighed. "Yes, sir?"

"How about you and I be partners for now? Hank and Rachel, Mercedes and Finn - ooh! It'll be perfect!"

"What does the winner get?" Mercedes asked, eyeing Finn warily.

"We'll just have to see about that..." Finn was certain Mercedes noticed the suggestion in the older man's voice, and the way he pointedly stared at Kurt. She shot Finn a look, lips pursed. He nodded, eyes wide and scared.

"Mr. Ryerson, should we break into our groups for the remaining fifteen minutes of rehearsal and begin work on our duets?" Rachel asked, sitting primly in her chair.

"Yes, yes! Come, Kurt, let's discuss our approach to this tragically beautiful song."

Kurt headed down to sit by his teacher at the piano, and Hank scooted down to the front row of chairs to argue about style. Finn inched closer to Mercedes, eyes still on Kurt.

"He's creepy."

"Tell me about it," she huffed. "Alright, white boy, I guess you're singing Collins' part. If you can even hit those notes."

Finn nodded, and stared down at the page. He could still sort of read music from that dreadful year when his mom's boyfriend at the time had tried to teach him piano. The dude, Darrin, was pretty cool, but a really crappy teacher. Still, Finn got the gist of it.

The song actually seemed pretty sweet - in a totally sappy, "my girlfriend totally forced me to listen to it" kind of way. "_I've longed to discover something as true as this is. With a thousand sweet kisses, I'll cover you._ Wow. This Collins guys has it _bad_ for Angel."

Mercedes chuckled. "Yeah. I've never actually seen this musical, but I'll bet you anything that Kurt and Rachel are both obsessed."

Finn smiled at that. When he got Kurt started talking about _Wicked_ - the small boy's favorite musical - he'd been subjected to a twenty-minute monologue on its perfection. Not that he minded; when Kurt became passionate about something, his eyes lit up so brightly that Finn could make out every single color that swirled together - blue, green, grey, and the splotches of gold around the pupils. Finn could listen to him talk like that for hours if it meant seeing his eyes like that.

Music floated across the room, and Kurt and Mr. Ryerson were singing. The teacher wasn't a bad singer, but compared to Kurt, anyone would sound like crap. The term "voice like an angel" had always seemed stupid to Finn - how could you know what an angel sounded like? - but now, listening to his friend sing with such heart, Finn knew that angels had nothing on Kurt Hummel.

"_With a thousand sweet kisses_-"

"_When you're worn out and tired_-"

"-_I'll cover you! With a thousand sweet kisses_-"

"-_When your heart has expired!"_

"-_I'll cover you!"_

The room hushed as the teacher and student sang. Rachel's eyes widened in surprise; Hank's narrowed in jealousy.

"Wait, stop!" Kurt held up his hands. "Mr. Ryerson, I'm not comfortable singing this with a teacher. I'm sorry."

"I'll do it!" Hank offered, and the teacher grudgingly acquiesced.

"That's all we have time for today. I'll see you kids later," Ryerson said, arm brushing Kurt's deliberately.

Finn and Mercedes both sped out of the choir room, flanking Kurt on either side. The small boy didn't seem too concerned about his teacher's behavior.

"Honestly, we're a glee club. We should be singing the reprise of that song. At least _it's_ a group number," Kurt griped, reaching up to swipe at his bangs. He pouted when he remembered they weren't there anymore.

"Well, you tell him that next week. And have fun singing with Berry," Mercedes jibed, before turning down another hallway. Kurt made a face.

Finn stared at his feet awkwardly. "Dude...you need to quit glee club."

"Is this one of those things where you're trying to help me by improving my reputation? 'Cause it won't work." Kurt huffed a little and sped up. Finn lumbered behind him.

"No, dude. It's Ryerson. He's totally hot for you."

Kurt's eyes widened, then he let out a bark of a laugh. "Oh, _please_, Finn. Just because he's obviously gay doesn't mean he wants to sleep with every male student of his."

Finn scowled. "I don't think that 'cause he's gay. I think that 'cause he's creepy. He was totally hitting on you. It was inappropriate."

"Really, now," Kurt said, smiling fondly at Finn. "So are Coach Tanaka's shorts, and you don't see me telling you to quit football."

"But-"

"Does he really make you that uncomfortable, Finn?" Kurt asked suddenly, teasing gone from his voice.

"Yeah. I mean, I could take him in a fight, but I don't know if _you_ could."

"Oh, Finn." Kurt gave him such an endearing look that Finn felt his heart melting a little.

"I mean, I know you like singing and stuff, but maybe you could form your own club? You and me and Mercedes? And leave the Dynamic Duo on their own with that creep."

"I'll talk to Mercedes about it tomorrow," Kurt promised.

Finn breathed a sigh of relief.

:-:

"This is an outrage!" Burt yelled. "My kid gets hurt at the hands of these ignoramuses, and you give two of them detention for a month? They should be expelled!"

"I'm sorry, Mr. Hummel, but there's no proof that this event actually took place-"

Burt slammed his fist on the desk. "My kid has a fuckin' gash in the back of his head! And a black eye from a deliberate attack! And Finn witnessed everything!"

"It's one student's word against a very large group's."

"So my son doesn't get a say in this, then? His word doesn't count?" Burt sat back down, fuming. "What kind of shit-hole school are you running?"

"Burt." Carole held out her hand. "Let me." She stood and braced her hands on Figgins' desk, glaring at the man with all her might. "Do you know what this attack was? A hate crime. They attacked him because they think he's gay." She paused for a moment, then: "Do you know what happens when principals ignore blatant hate crimes in this day and age?" Another pause. "You'll never work in another school again."

Figgins paled. "I'll need to talk to Mr. Hummel." Burt stood. "The _other_ Mr. Hummel."

"If Kurt comes in and tells you his account of the attack, will you punish those boys more severely?" Burt asked, hand shaking with anger.

"Yes," Figgins replied, nervously glancing between Burt and Carole.

"_All_ of them?" Carole asked, crossing her arms.

Figgins looked shaken, but held his head up stubbornly. "If the appropriate evidence of their involvement is there."

Burt and Carole exchanged a look, then stared Figgins down.

"We'll accept that," Burt said slowly and dangerously. Carole raised an eyebrow at the principal.

"For now."

:-:

"Hey, Hummel, wait up!"

Kurt turned to see Noah Puckerman, self-proclaimed "bad-ass and MILF-connoisseur" running after him in the hallway. The small boy huffed.

"I swear to god, if you ruin this shirt, Puckerman, I will-"

"Spit rainbows on me? Right." Puck walked casually next to Kurt, ignoring stares from the other students. "Listen, I need to ask you something."

"No, I'm not sleeping with Mr. Ryerson. I'm not _that_ desperate," Kurt quipped, stopping by his locker to retrieve a textbook. Puck snorted, and leaned against Kurt's locker.

"Whatever, homo. What you do with older men is of no concern to me."

Kurt rolled his eyes. "Then why do you keep tossing slushies at me?"

"If you hadn't noticed," Puck drawled, shoving his hands into his pockets. "I slushie everyone." There was a pause, where a silent "who isn't cool" was inferred. "I figured that it would make me pretty hypocritical to hate you for sucking dick when I get a boner from watching Brittany Pierce and Santana Lopez get freaky under the bleachers." Kurt was shocked by the other boy's logic (and the fact that he knew the word hypocritical.)

"That weirdly…makes sense…" Kurt admitted, closing his locker door. "So what was that question?"

Puck grinned wickedly. "Is my boy, Finn, gay? 'Cause if you turned him into a homo, I-"

"You can't turn people gay, Puckerman."

The taller boy continued, ignoring Kurt. "'Cause if he _is_ gay, then I need to thank you for pulling him out of Narnia and helping me win a bet against Matt Rutherford that we've had going since seventh grade."

Kurt blinked a couple of times, trying to wrap his head around what Puck had just told him. "You…you bet on his sexuality? In middle school? Seriously?"

Puck shrugged. "I've been best friends with Finn since third grade. I just get a vibe from him, you know? Like, a really, really gay vibe."

Kurt blushed. "Well, as far as I know, he is as straight as you, so don't try to cash in that bet just yet." A pause. "What…_was_ the bet, exactly?"

"Well…" Puck smirked. "I told Matt that Finn would come out by the end of freshman year. He said Finn would be a college-gay. And Mike – though he didn't bet – seemed to think that he'd be a later-in-life gay. You know, after he gets married and has kids and stuff."

"Are they okay with…?" Kurt couldn't finish the question. "I mean, they don't hate that…?"

Puck's smirk softened. "Dude, Mike and Matt don't have the capacity to hate _anyone_. Me, I just think you're a spoiled little diva with stupid clothes and a bad attitude. But I don't hate you. Especially not 'cause you're flaming."

That was probably one of the most reassuring things anyone had ever said to Kurt, sadly enough. He felt a lump rising in his throat, so he croaked out, "Thanks, Puckerman," before turning to leave.

"No problem, Hummel." Puck's voice lacked its usual coarseness, and was almost kind. "But don't think this means I won't still give you shit."

Kurt turned around, rolling his eyes. "I'd be worried if you didn't."

:-:

"He said that? Really?" Finn seemed torn between wanting to punch his friend for having tormented Kurt with slushies and shoves into lockers, or wanting to hug him for almost being nice to Kurt. Kurt left out the discussion of Finn's sexuality.

"Yeah. I think he was giving me his blessing, or something. Whatever his intention, it was…unexpected."

The two boys were leaning against the side of the school, waiting for their respective parents to pick them up. The air was chilly, and Kurt shivered a little.

"That's just…huh. But you aren't gay, so what does it matter?" Finn said, but the tone of his voice implied that he didn't actually believe what he was saying. Kurt blushed.

"Oh, come on. You know I'm gay. _Everyone_ knows I'm gay. Except my father, but I'll have to tell him eventually." Finn winced sympathetically. Kurt sighed. "Thanks for not freaking out on me. It's nice to know that not every guy at this school is a homophobic douche."

Finn smiled sadly at Kurt. "Well, you've got me. And Puck, apparently. And Matt and Mike, even though you've never met them. And Artie. And Hank Saunders only hates you 'cause he's in love with Ryerson-"

Kurt made a gagging noise and they both fell into hysterics, drawing attention to themselves from passing students. A couple girls started whispering, and a jock or two cracked their knuckles menacingly. But neither boy noticed, too wrapped up in their laughter and the other's presence to notice such petty threats.

A car pulled up next to them, window rolled down. "Uh-oh, looks like someone drugged your food, Finnegan. I haven't seen you laugh that hard since Noah spit soda out of his nose when you were twelve."

Carole Hudson grinned at the boys. "Come on, sweetie, time to go." Finn patted Kurt's shoulder goodbye, promising to text him later. "You too, Kurt."

"What?" Finn asked. He thought Kurt was waiting for his dad. Judging by the look on his face, Kurt did, too.

"Your dad is taking us all out to dinner," Carole explained. Kurt looked bewildered. "He and I were down here earlier terrorizing Figgins. We want to see those boys properly punished." Kurt paled a little, but seemed grateful. "And I _am_ sorry for whatever speech about lying your dad gave you after I ratted you out," Carole continued. "I just want some justice to come from this."

Kurt slipped into the backseat and rested a hand on the woman's shoulder. "Thank you."

Carole just smiled at him, then said, "Alright. Who's up for Breadstix?"

Kurt just laughed at the way Finn's face lit up like a puppy's, and he could have sworn he saw the boy drool a little. "Normally I avoid empty carbs," he started, speaking slowly. Finn turned around to mock-glare at him. "But I think I can indulge myself tonight. To celebrate."

"Yeah!" Finn threw his fist into the air. "Breadstix bread sticks are the best!"

Carole nodded, then turned to Kurt. "Any restaurant that can fill this giant up on unlimited bread is worth the money."

The three of them drove off, laughing and joking, and for the first time in a while, Kurt felt like he had a family.

:-:

**Notes: Alright, boring chapter. I promise the drama and romance will be happening soon. Also, gonna be gone for a week, then soon after than I'll be moving, so bear with me, okay? Cool. Thank you all for the wonderful reviews so far! (And keep 'em coming!)**

**Also, I did realize that Finn and Quinn didn't date freshman year in the canon, but I wanted that added drama. We haven't seen the last of Quinn Fabray.**


	4. Chapter 4

_ i need an ambulance_  
><em>i took, i took the worst of the blow<em>

_:-:_

_send me a redeemer_  
><em>let me know if i'm gonna be alright<em>

_:-:_

_am i gonna be alright?_

_:-:_

_'cause i know how it usually goes_  
><em>i know how it usually goes<em>

:-:

"So, Finn, your mother tells me you play football."

Finn and Kurt were squished together in a booth across from their parents. Kurt was drawing pictures in the condensation on his drink. Finn had a mouthful of breadstick.

"Um, yeah. I've been playing since middle school."

Burt nodded appreciatively. "Tell me when your next game is. Kurt and I will come by to cheer you on."

Kurt nodded, obviously resisting the urge to roll his eyes. "Uh-huh."

Finn felt his face heat up. The idea of Kurt in the stands, solely focused on Finn, cheering until his cheeks are flushed with exertion and his eyes are sparkling brightly, passionately-

"You got a girlfriend, Finn?"

Finn jumped, brought out of his inappropriate thoughts by Burt's seemingly innocent question. "Uh, no, sir. I mean, I did, but we just broke up and-"

"You and Quinn broke up?" Carole asked, masterfully hiding the approval in her voice. Kurt raised an eyebrow at her.

"Yeah," Finn admitted, not sounding all that broken-up about it. Carole looked smug, but concerned.

"What happened? Did you two fight?"

Kurt jumped in with, "Oh, Carole, he probably doesn't want to talk about it-" just as Finn said, "She told me to stop talking to Kurt."

Both Burt and Carole looked taken aback, and they exchanged a quick look before Carole said, "Oh, sweetie, I'm sorry. But it's for the better, right?"

Finn nodded, oblivious to Kurt's bright red cheeks. "Yeah. I didn't realize how selfish she was, or how shallow. Besides, I'm pretty sure Puck's totally in love with her, so he might as well get his chance." He nodded, like that was a typical "Bro-Code" thing to do.

Carole smiled happily, shooting a quick glance at Kurt, then said, "Well, thank you, Burt, for treating us to dinner like this. Anyone who is willing to feed my son is a friend in my book."

"Well, it's the least I can do for the family that helped save my son," Burt said, raising his glass. "A toast – to new friends."

"Cheers!" Carole tipped her glass to Burt's, grinning wildly. Kurt and Finn followed, less enthusiastic.

"Well, hopefully once Kurt testifies on Monday, we'll get enough over Figgins' head to suspend those boys." Burt took a swig of his drink. "They'll pay; we'll make sure of it."

"No." Kurt's eyes widened and he paled instantly. "Absolutely not."

Carole frowned. "Kurt, sweetie, you need to testify against those Karofsky brothers. They nearly killed you."

"And they _will_ kill me if I get them into more trouble," Kurt said, fists clenched on top of the table. "Please, Dad, I can't do this. They'll come after me, with more than just slurs and slushies."

"They can't get away with this, Kurt," Burt said, slamming his hand down on the table. "It's not just bullying. It's a hate crime."

Finn watched as Kurt's face slowly turned green. Kurt had been denying his sexuality for so long, that Finn assumed he had never properly come out. But surely he couldn't expect his own father to _not know_?

"Dude, really, you need to tell Figgins your story. Sean deserves to go to jail for what he did to you."

Kurt kicked his shin under the table. "It's not worth it. Sean getting suspended is not worth me getting strung up the flagpole by my underwear or run over by a pickup truck."

"I won't let them do that to you, Kurt," Finn assured the smaller boy, voice low and gravelly. Kurt's eyes met his, and for a moment, the world seemed to stand still.

"It's not an option, kiddo," Burt said. "You're doing it."

Narrowing his eyes, Kurt swiped his arm across the table and knocked Finn's soda into his lap. The two boys jumped up at once, Finn freaking out from the sudden cold and Kurt worrying over the state of Finn's jeans.

"Here, let me help you clean that up," he said, leading Finn out of the booth and towards the bathroom. Burt and Carole exchanged another look, but stayed quiet as their sons disappeared around the corner.

"How many girlfriends has he had?" Burt asked, eyebrow raised.

"Two." Carole paused. "And one was in second grade."

"Hmm."

Finn stumbled across the threshold as Kurt locked the door, anger painted across his face. "What the _hell_, Finn? Why are you siding with them?"

"What?" Finn stared dumbfounded at Kurt as the small boy grabbed a wad of paper towels and ran them under the sink. "What are you talking about?"

"Our parents!" Kurt cried, shoving the paper towels into Finn's hand. "You know it's a bad idea! Why couldn't you just side with me?"

"Dude." Finn stopped wiping at his pants to give Kurt a serious look. "You have to turn those guys in."

"No."

For the first time, Finn watched as Kurt's eyes filled with tears. Against the white tile wall of the Breadstix bathroom, he looked so thin, so small – so vulnerable. Dark circles ringed his eyes, and his cheeks were starting to look a little gaunt.

"Don't you see, Finn?" He asked, voice cracking with emotion. "I have to spend four years in the shit hole of a school." Finn winced. "I'm not going to hide who I am…" He cleared his throat and looked at the ground. "But I'm not going to push those meatheads to homicide. I just need to survive four years, Finn." He looked up, a new fire in his eyes. "And then I'm gone."

The idea of never seeing this strange boy again made Finn's chest ache. But maybe Finn could go to New York? His mom would be proud of him, and he could learn to like the city-

"They need to pay, Kurt. They need to see that they can't get away with this kind of thing." Finn pouted at his shoes. "I can keep you safe."

"I know that you would try valiantly," Kurt murmured, resting his hand on Finn's cheek. "But nothing will keep me safe. Not for long. Not if I turn those boys in."

Finn sighed in defeat. "Can I still put Nair in their shampoo bottles?"

Kurt looked at him in surpise. "They use shampoo? Huh. Never would have guessed that."

:-:

"Kurt."

Kurt turned stiffly in his seat to face his dad. Rain had started to fall, and the traffic was thinning as they drew closer to home.

"Yeah, Dad?"

"You know I'm just trying to do what's best for you, right?"

Kurt nodded. "Yeah, Dad."

"And I'm still angry with you for lying to me about your injury."

"Yeah, Dad."

"And I love you no matter what, right?"

"Yeah…Dad?"

"Yes, Kurt?"

"You know I'm gay, don't you?"

Burt nodded, a sad smile on his face. "Of course. I've known since you were three and all you wanted for your birthday was a pair of sensible heels. But I was waiting for you to tell me."

Kurt blushed. "Oh. Well…I am. Gay, that is."

"Thank you for telling me, Kurt."

"You don't hate me?"

Burt looked over, appalled. "Kurt, you are my son. I will love you until the day I die, no matter what."

Kurt blinked back tears. "Thanks, Dad."

"Oh, c'mere." Burt stopped on the side of the road, pulling Kurt into a hug. The smaller boy melted into his father's arms, and finally let out a small sob. "I love you, Kurt."

"I love you, too, Daddy."

They sat in silence for a moment, then pulled apart, weights lifted from both of their shoulders. Kurt wiped the lingering tears from his eyes and Burt pulled back onto the road, a small smile on his face. The rain outside didn't seem so dreary anymore.

"Well, when we get inside we should start a fire. It's getting chilly out- WHAT THE HELL?"

Burt slammed on the brakes in front of their house, fuming. There, on the quaint, white exterior of their humble abode, the word FAG was spray painted in huge, black letters.

Both Hummel men jumped from the car, in states of pure shock. Kurt's hands trembled violently.

All of the windows were smashed in, and eggs yolks were splattered across the front door, their shells on the ground. Burt threw his baseball cap to the ground in fury.

"God _dammit_!" He yelled. Kurt sank to the ground, entire body shaking with fear and anger. "Kurt. _Kurt_." Kurt looked up, willing his tears to disappear. "Call Carole. You can't sleep here tonight."

:-:

When Finn and his mom pulled up to the Hummel house, Burt was standing on the lawn, talking with a police officer. Kurt was on the curb, shaken and so, so small.

"Oh my God…" Carole breathed, racing from the car over to Burt. Finn got out and knelt by Kurt, almost afraid to touch him he looked so fragile. Finn was overcome with fear of this new, weak Kurt.

"Kurt," he murmured, watching as rivulets of rain danced down the boy's face. Kurt said nothing.

"_Kurt_," Finn said again, a little louder. Kurt looked up, blue/green/grey/fucking _beautiful _eyes wide and scared. "C'mon. Time to go home."

He helped his friend into the back of his mom's car. Carole was now frantically yelling at the police officer, who looked scared shitless from the dynamic-duo that was Carole Hudson and Burt Hummel. She finally gave up, hugged Burt, and returned to the car, fuming.

"People in this town…" She grumbled and turned the car on angrily. Finn buckled Kurt in, and the three of them rode home in silence.

"You can go up and take a shower, Kurt, if you want. You're shivering," Carole said as they arrived at Chez Hudson, voice much softer than it had been. "Finn'll get you some warm clothes."

Kurt nodded, muttering a small, "Thank you," before shuffling off into the house. Finn hung back, wrapping an arm around his mom's shoulder.

"Oh, Finny…" she sighed, leaning into his side. "If I could, I would send him so far away from Lima that he'd never hear a word of abuse again."

"No!" Finn panicked; Kurt couldn't leave. Not so soon. Not until Finn could go with him-

"What?" Carole raised an eyebrow at her son. Finn blushed.

"I mean…he wants to fight this battle and stick up for himself and I agree and-" His voice grew small. "Not _so_ far away. Not now."

Carole's eyes grew watery. "Oh, sweetie." She patted his cheek affectionately, then stood on her tiptoes to peck his forehead. "Let's get inside. You'll catch your death out here."

Finn, still red-faced from his Freudian slip, dashed inside and loped up the stairs, ignoring his mother's scolds for tracking mud into the house. He heard the water in the shower turn on, and the splash of a small body stepping under the jets.

A low hum came from under the bathroom door, a sweet, sad melody that Finn had never heard before. He hovered outside the room, listening intently.

"_There's a light__burning bright__, __showing me the way__. __But i know where I've been_." Finn slid down to the floor, back to the door. He could feel the warmth of the room at his fingertips, and he could only imagine Kurt right now – thin, pale, hunched over with fear, but with that passionate gleam in his eyes as he sang.

"_There's a cry__in the distance__. __It's a voice__that comes from deep within__. __There's a cry,__asking why__ – I pray the answer's up ahead_."

Finn's breath hitched, and he closed his eyes, absorbed in the boy's song. In his mind, he saw pale hands trailing across a soapy torso, pink lips open in song, tears mingling with shower water; a bold scar sticking out beneath dark, wet locks of hair, and rivers of soap running down in waterfalls over those thin shoulders, that prominent collar bone-

"_There's a dream__in the future__. __There's a struggle__we have yet to win__. __And there's pride__in my heart__, __'cause I know__where I'm going,__and I know where I've been_."

A warm feeling flooded over Finn, and he felt his eyes fluttering. The strength in Kurt's voice, the pride, the beauty – it was overwhelming. Finn could honestly say he'd never met anyone like Kurt Hummel, and he never would again.

The song stopped and the water turned off. Finn snapped back to reality and ran to his room to grab the same pajamas he had lent Kurt before. He dropped them off outside the bathroom, then jumped onto his bed and buried his face into his pillow.

A few minutes later, a disheveled, damp Kurt shuffled into the room. "Thanks for the clothes. Should I take the couch?"

Finn shook his head. "We can…" He paused, but the idea was out of his mouth before he could make a rational judgment. "We can just share my bed. It's warm and you're…"

"It's okay, Finn. I'll take the couch, really."

In a moment of madness, Finn threw out his arm and pulled Kurt down onto the bed next to him. The smaller boy squeaked in protest, wriggling in Finn's grasp.

"That song you were singing was really pretty," Finn said, pushing a damp strand out of Kurt's face. "What was it?"

Kurt blushed. "Um. _I Know Where I've Been_, from Hairspray." Finn's face was blank. "It's a musical, Finn. A classic."

"Oh. Cool." Finn pulled his blanket over both of them, smiling sleepily. "I'm sorry about the vandil- vadan- venda-"

"Vandalism."

"Yeah. I'm really sorry about that. I swear to you, I _will_ find out who did it, and I'll kick their asses."

Kurt gave him a sad grin. "Please don't. It won't make it any easier for me."

Finn gave a defeated sigh, and – clearly insane by this point – wrapped his arms around Kurt, drawing the boy closer. Kurt stiffened, but relented. "I wish I could make things easier for you."

A small whimper came from Kurt, and he launched himself at Finn, arms tangling around the taller boy's neck. "You already have. Thank you."

Finn said nothing, but smiled into Kurt's hair, holding the boy close. There was something _right_ about the way they fit together – they were _made_ for each other.

And, oddly enough, the thought didn't scare Finn like it should have.

:-:

"Did you like our little present, Hummel?"

Kurt looked up from his locker to see Sean Karofksy and his posse standing in front of him, smirks on their faces.

"It was a little tacky, don't you think?" Kurt drawled, slamming the locker shut. "And so overdone. You're seriously lacking in creativity, aren't you?"

Sean slammed him back against the wall, fuming. "I'll show you creativity, you little cock-sucker."

Kurt raised an eyebrow. "Clever. Never heard _that_ one before."

Sean pulled his fist back, poised to attack, when a harsh voice called out from behind them, "Break it up, you big pack of hairless monkeys. You! 'Roid Rage! My office! NOW."

Kurt looked up to see Sue Sylvester, the infamous and possibly dangerous cheerleading coach, glaring at Sean and the others like they were scum beneath her feet. By her side were two of her Cheerios – the dark-haired, utterly bored Santana Lopez and the blonde, spacey, and slightly dim Brittany Pierce.

As Sean slinked off after Coach Sylvester, Kurt escaped down the hall and slipped into the auditorium, the one place he knew no jock would ever set foot in. He collapsed into a seat and let out a deep, shaky breath.

"Kurt?"

Brittany was standing by his seat, eyes wide and curious. "You're Kurt, right?" He nodded. "Coach Sylvester wants to talk to you."

"Thanks," he murmured, standing up. Surprisingly, the cheerleader took his hand and they walked from the auditorium together.

"I think you're really cool, Kurt," Brittany told him as they drew closer to the coach's office. "Like, you rock the lady-clothes and you smell awesome and you're so brave to be gay. I could never be that brave."

"Um, thanks, Brittany," Kurt said, taken aback. "But what do you mean-?"

"Me and Santana. We…I love her. I like guys, but I love Santana, but we can't…she can't…I'm jealous of you, Kurt. And I hope you find a guy to be brave with. 'Cause boy kisses are almost as awesome as sweet lady kisses."

Kurt blushed, but squeezed the girl's hand in encouragement. "If you really love each other, Brittany, you'll make it work."

"Thanks, Kurt. Don't let Coach scare you," she said, kissing his cheek.

Kurt laughed humorously as the cheerleader walked away, then opened the door to Coach Sylvester's office. She was sitting behind her desk, oddly menacing in her red tracksuit.

"Come in, Lady Face. Sit down." Kurt obeyed, feeling the color drain from his face. "You're probably wondering why you're here-Ah, Shankar. Good of you to join us."

Kurt turned to see Principal Figgins inching into the room, looking as scared as Kurt felt.

"Sit down," Sue commanded. "Now – Gay Kid, Figgins – it's time to settle a few things." She turned to Kurt, eyes narrowing. "Let's start with your side of the story, eh, Porcelain?"


	5. Chapter 5

_i built a monument_  
><em>for the love we used to know<em>

:-:

_but that is far removed,_  
><em>and you say that i'm gonna be okay<em>

:-:

_and yeah, i'm gonna be okay_  
><em>but it doesn't seem that way<em>

:-:

_no love, not toda_y

:-:

Kurt left Coach Sylvester's office, shaking. Tucked under his arm was a brand new Cheerios uniform. The conversation with Coach Sylvester was still ringing in his ears.

_"So what you're saying, Lady Face, is that Sean Karofsky and his idiot brother attacked you?"_

_Kurt nodded. "Yes, ma'am."_

"_And that Sean – without the aid of his idiot brother – physically assaulted you?" _

"_Yes, ma'am."_

"_And that a large group of football players stood around and encouraged them without stopping to help you, therefore making them guilty by association?"_

"_Yes, ma'am."_

_Kurt curled in on himself, trying to disappear into the hard, metal chair he was sitting in. Sue was pacing back and forth behind her desk._

"_Now, Figgins. If this isn't enough to suspend the Karofsky brothers and put them on academic probation, _and_ give the identified mob detention, then nothing is." Sue leaned towards the Principal. "Don't you agree?"_

_Figgins nodded quickly. "I have clearly misjudged the severity of this attack, and will rethink my punishments." He quivered like a schoolboy being scolded. "May I go now?" _

_Sue narrowed her eyes. "Get out of here. I'll be by to check in on those punishments. Not you." Kurt had stood with Figgins. He paled. "I need to talk to you, Lady." _

_He sat back down and wetted his lips, trying to still his shaking hands._ _Sue turned to rummage through a drawer as she spoke. _

"_So you're having trouble with the Brainless Bunch, eh, Porcelain?" Kurt nodded tersely. "Well, I have a proposition for you." _

_She tossed a bundle at him, and Kurt barely caught it. Handling the cloth carefully, he unfolded a male Cheerios uniform, just his size. _

"_But, Coach, I don't know anything about cheerleading-"_

"_I don't care." Kurt instantly shut up. "I saw you standing up to Karofsky just then, and I've seen you do it before. You've got guts, kid." She paused to sit down. "I want you to be my team manager." _

"_Excuse me?" Kurt's fingers tightened around the red material. _

"_Team Manager. You'll organize travel info for trips, set up fundraisers and constantly update my list of Cheerios and their offenses and penalties." Kurt looked away, unsure. "Nobody touches my Cheerios, Hummel. No one." _

_He looked up, surprised. Sue Sylvester, the most evil and terrifying cheerleading coach of all time, was offering him protection. This was the woman who shoved students into lockers for being in her way and hurled out insults like confetti. He felt oddly touched. _

"_Thanks, Coach."_

_She nodded. "Practice starts at six. Don't be late." _

He sighed and shoved the uniform into his locker for safekeeping. Didn't want any harm coming to such a precious symbol of authority.

Kurt turned just in time to receive a face full of slushie, courtesy of Azimio. He sputtered, feeling cherry-flavored ice dripping into eyes and mouth.

At least the uniform was safe.

:-:

Finn, though on the other side of the school, was facing a similar problem. His face was currently dripping blue raspberry goop, and he was at wits end.

"What the _hell_, man?" He shoved Strando up against a locker, knocking the slushie cup from his hand. Strando smirked.

"'Sup, homo?"

Finn growled, tightening his grip on the other boy's forearms. "What'd you call me?"

Strando shrugged. "Just stating the obvious. It's clear you've gone to gay side and started fucking Hummel."

Finn was so taken aback that Strando managed to switch their positions, pinning Finn to the wall. "Don't talk about Kurt like that!" Finn shouted.

"I'll talk about your butt-buddy any way I like, you fag." Strando's voice was low and dangerous now. "You two absolutely disgust me."

Finn struggled against his grip, but the other boy held on. "What has Kurt ever done to you?"

"He's unnatural. _You're_ unnatural." Strando let go of Finn, absolutely disgust in his voice. "Watch your back, homo."

Strando turned the corner, shoving aside some Mathletes as he passed. Finn watched him leave, stunned.

He blinked a couple of times, then noticed Quinn standing towards the end of the hall. She gave him a look of anger, then of sadness and pity.

Before he could react, she was gone, and his underwear was started to get soaked with ice.

:-:

"Mr. Ryerson, if I may?" Kurt raised his hand during glee club, legs crossed daintily. He had yet to discuss his and Finn's plans to form their own club with Mercedes, but he had a feeling she'd be in. "Without Finn, it seems like a duet contest is just worthless with only two pairs."

Mr. Ryerson seemed to understand Kurt's point; Hank's face fell.

"Might I suggest we perform the reprise of _I'll Cover You_ instead? It's a group song, and a good chance for solos."

"Wonderful idea, Kurt!" Sandy cried, clapping his hands together. "Hank, do you know the part?"

Hank shook his head, and Kurt raised his hand again. "Mr. Ryerson, please. Just because I'm a countertenor doesn't mean I can't sing anything low. You'll find I have an impressive range."

Ryerson's eyes twinkled creepily. "Well, go ahead, Kurt. Show us what you can do." It almost sounded dirty when he said it; maybe Finn was right.

Kurt cleared his throat as Sandy began playing the piano. "_Live in my house…I'll be your shelter…Just pay me back…with one thousand kisses…be my lover…and I'll cover you…_"

He continued on, warming up his lower register beautifully. Mercedes hummed in harmony to the melody, and Rachel joined in after recovering from her shock. Hank just glared at Kurt.

When Kurt came to the real climax of the song, he put every emotion he had into it, feeling real tears prick at his eyes.

"_I've longed to discover, something as true as this is, yeah_!"

Mercedes took over, her voice a powerful and rich companion to his.

"_So, with a thousand sweet kisses, I'll cover you-"_

"_If you're cold and you're lonely."_

"_With a thousand sweet kisses, I'll cover you-"_

"_You've got one nickel only."_

"_With a thousand sweet kisses, I'll cover you-"_

"_When you're worn out and tired."_

"_With a thousand sweet kisses-"_

Kurt's voice cut through all the others, bringing the room to silence.

"_When your heart has expired!"_

Tears were welling up in Kurt's eyes now, and he let Mercedes and Rachel take over the chorus. Even Hank joined in, as Kurt trembled with sadness. If he lost Finn, if he had to go through that sort of pain – wait, when did this become about Finn?

The group was nearing the end, with a beautiful, slow melody. "_Five hundred twenty-five thousand six hundred minutes. Five hundred twenty-five thousand seasons of love…_"

With one last sob, Kurt belted out, "_I'll cover you, oh!_"

The room fell silent, until Sandy started clapping and cheering and Rachel was commending Kurt on his emotional grasp of Rent and Hank sulked. Mercedes rested a hand on his shoulder.

He never realized how in love with Finn Hudson he was until this very moment.

Kurt was screwed.

:-:

Burt looked up from the register to see Carole smiling at him. He grinned back, then waved to Finn who was standing behind her.

"What can I do for you two today?" He asked, wiping his hands on his jeans.

Carole patted Finn's arm. "Well, _someone_ had an accident in my truck, back into a light pole while learning how to parallel park, and I believe we were offered discount service?"

Burt frowned. "No, you weren't." The Hudsons looked confused. "You were offered free service."

"Now, Burt-" Carole started but he stopped her.

"There's no point in arguing, Carole. Bring the car around and I'll take a look at it. Finn," He turned to the boy. "Kurt's in the back working on a red Chevy. Go keep him company."

Finn smiled and bounded off, eager to see his friend. The phrase, "working on a red Chevy" didn't register in his mind.

"Hey, Kurt!" He yelled, hands in his pockets. "Your dad said you were- woah!"

Kurt had pulled himself out from underneath a bright red car, hair ruffled and cheeks smudged with oil. He worked in a pair of coveralls, the front unzipped and revealing a tight, old t-shirt.

"Well, hello, Finn Hudson," he said, voice lower than usual. "What can I help you with?" He popped open the hood, and started rummaging through it.

"Um, Mom's bringing in our car 'cause I banged it up. Dude, you work here?" He was staring at Kurt's coverall-clad body, especially the way the material tightened over the boy's ass as he leaned over the car. Finn's jeans were suddenly uncomfortable.

"Hand me a wrench, would you?" Kurt asked absently. Finn fumbled to hand the tool to his friend, then watched in awe as the femme boy worked on the engine of the Chevy. "And yes, I work here for extra cash when Dad's employees call in sick and such."

"Cool." Silence fell as Kurt concentrated on the car and Finn concentrated on Kurt. After a minute, Kurt stood up again, and wiped his hands off on his pants.

"Well, that should do it." He slammed the hood down. "Whoever owns this car is an idiot."

He turned to face Finn again, and Finn instinctively reached out to wipe the oil from Kurt's cheek. Kurt's face grew red, but he stood still and let Finn run his thumb across his cheek, the rough pad scraping gently on the smooth skin.

"Thanks," he whispered, and Finn bent his head down so their foreheads were nearly touching. The air was thick and electric, and for a moment, Kurt forgot who he was or where they were. All he could see was Finn.

Carole's laughter broke through the tension and the boys looked over to see their parents talking and joking and-

"Are they flirting?" Kurt asked, stunned.

"Uh…" Finn was at a loss for words.

"Weird."

"Totally."

"Ew."

"Yeah."

Finn didn't know why he opposed to a relationship between his mom and Burt so much. Mr. Hummel was a cool dude, and his mom deserved happiness.

But that would make him and Kurt…almost brothers?

And _that_ was unacceptable.

:-:

The next day, Kurt strutted down the hallway, clad in Sue's uniform. He held the Coach's clipboard in one hand, the other placed firmly on his hip. Crowds parted for Sue Sylvester's new right-hand man.

He stopped at his locker, cowering slightly under the stares of every passing student. Kurt filed his books away and turned to look straight into the eyes of Sean Karofsky.

"'Sup, homo?" He asked, leaning in menacingly. Kurt scowled.

"You wouldn't dare try anything that could ruin this uniform. Sylvester would eat you alive."

Sean's face darkened, and he clenched his fist. "Know where I'm heading right now, fag? Home. 'Cause someone got me suspended."

Kurt paled. Sean continued, "I will find a way to mess you up, you fuckin' cock-sucker. I may not be able to touch you right now-" He paused, glaring at Kurt's red uniform like it had just killed his entire family. "-But you better watch your back. You and your new boyfriend."

It took a moment, but Kurt realized who Sean was talking about and felt his throat tighten. "You stay away from Finn."

Sean smiled wickedly, backing away from Kurt casually. "I told you, homo – you'll pay."

He walked back down the hallway, leaving Kurt trembling by his locker. He should never have involved Finn in his problems. He should never have put Finn in danger.

He should have bled to death in that fucking dumpster.

_Speak of the devil,_ Kurt thought as Finn rounded the corner, eyes wide at the new uniform. He cleared his throat and said, "Well, that's…different."

Kurt was too freaked out to comment on Finn's growing blush. He had to keep Finn safe. Though alienation seemed the best – and most cliché – way to protect the object of his affections, Kurt realized it was too late for that.

"Are you okay?" Finn asked, suddenly conscious of everyone's eyes on him.

"No," Kurt murmured. "Not really."


	6. Chapter 6

**Note: So I don't know how I feel about this chapter, so if the response isn't great I might take it down and redo it. But I'm trying really hard to finish this story up quick, and then actually start my hiatus, 'cause God knows I won't actually be able to stop writing fanfiction until this story is complete. So...I hope you like this chapter! There should be one or two more after this.**

:-:

_thought you were made for me_  
><em>and we shared our history<em>

_:-:_

_and in time you'll tear your eyes far away_  
><em>like a rubbernecker's gaze<em>

_:-:_

_is it really safe to say_  
><em>that we're just made that way?<em>

_:-:_

_made to brave the pain?_

:-:

_Kurt was helpless_.

_He stood in the middle of the hallway, watching fearfully as a group of football players shoved Finn to the ground. They were merciless in their beating, kicking and hitting and smashing. Kurt tried to run, tried to cry out, but he stuck – he couldn't do a thing._

_The mob trickled away, each jock leaving Finn with a last kick or punch, until it was just Finn and Kurt in an empty hallway. The white tiles were stained red._

_Finn was alive, at least. Kurt let out a sigh of relief, and tried to move towards the boy he loved, but Finn gave him such a hurt, angry look that he just stood still. _

_Then, before Kurt could scream, Sean was behind Finn, brandishing a pocketknife like a shank. The older boy grinned wickedly and ran Finn through. He disappeared and Kurt found himself kneeling at Finn's head, shaking him violently. _

"_Get up! Finn, wake up! Please, don't be dead! Please!" _

_Finn blinked once and asked, voice deathly quiet, "Why?"_

_His eyes closed, and Kurt screamed. _

With a start, Kurt woke up, rolling off his bed onto the floor. It was an early evening on a school night, but the stress of the day had exhausted Kurt tremendously. Homework didn't even cross his mind at this point.

He wandered downstairs, murmuring a hello to his father as he grabbed a water bottle from the fridge. Burt eyed him carefully, but said nothing.

The phone rang, and Kurt reached out and picked it from its cradle, walking into the next room to say, "Hummel Residence."

"Hey, fag." Kurt reached for the End Call button. "Do you know where your boyfriend's at right now?"

"What did you do to him?" Kurt was shaking, suddenly fearful for Finn. "What did you do?"

"Nothing." There was a pause. "You might just wanna start looking for a new butt-buddy, is all."

Without a word the phone was on the ground and Kurt was out the door.

:-:

He reached the Hudson house in a panic. Carole was in the garden, attempting to resurrect some petunias that clearly wouldn't last a week, and she waved to him sweetly.

"Hey, hun. What's wrong?" She asked as she noticed the distressed look on his face. "Is everything okay?"

"Is Finn home?" Kurt asked immediately. Carole shook her head.

"No, he walked into town. Said he was meeting some friends from the football team. Kurt? Are you feeling okay?"

Kurt could feel his heart in his ears, and his breaths were coming in shallow little puffs. "How long ago?"

Carole furrowed her brow. "An hour? Right after he got home from school. Kurt?"

Kurt was sprinting back to his bike, waving at Carole. "If he comes home, have him call me, okay?"

He sped away without hearing her answer, tears pricking at the corners of his eyes. If Finn got hurt, Kurt didn't know what he'd do with himself.

Rain came down from the sky, and Kurt was unsure if it was the misty haze or his unshed tears that clouded his vision.

:-:

Finn sat in the Lima Bean, sipping awkwardly on his hot chocolate. Quinn sat across from him, lips pursed.

"Look, Finn," she said, steepling her fingers. "To be frank, I think we should give our relationship another shot."

"Why?" Finn murmured, wiping some whipped cream from his fingers onto his jeans. "So I can be your puppy again and do what you say?"

Quinn scowled. "You're clearly not thinking about your future at McKinley. If you hang out with freaks like Kurt Hummel, then you'll become a freak yourself."

"Kurt isn't a freak!" His voice was growing louder, and Quinn's eyes widened. "He's really cool once you get to know him!"

"But, Finn-"

"No. Seriously, Quinn, can't you find yourself another football player to boss around? What about Puck? He thinks you're hot." Quinn rolled her eyes. "And he could love you."

Quinn's face softened a little, and she looked away. "You really care about Kurt, don't you?"

Finn wasn't sure if she was trying to direct the conversation away from Puck or was genuinely curious, but he nodded anyways. "Too much."

Quinn looked upset, but she sighed in defeat. "I guess there's nothing I can do, then. I just hope you know what this will do to your reputation."

As if on cue, Kurt burst into the coffee shop, hair mussed and cheeks pink. His eyes were rimmed with red. "Finn!" He cried, running up to the table. "You're okay!"

"Yeah, I'm fine- Kurt, what's wrong?" Finn stood and pulled Kurt close, running a hand down the other boy's back. "Shh, calm down, it's okay. Just tell me what happened."

"I-I got a call at home," Kurt said, voice so hushed that Quinn had to strain to understand him. "A guy, asking if I knew where you were. He wouldn't give me a straight answer, and I was afraid one of the football players got to you."

Finn buried his face into Kurt's hair, arms shaking a little. "They won't get me, Kurt. Don't be scared. They won't…"

Kurt gripped tighter at Finn's shirt. "You should probably call your mom. I might have scared her."

Finn's eyes widened. "Oh, crap. Okay, yeah, I'll be outside. Hold on." He bustled out the door, pulling out the cell phone Kurt wished he had known about. Kurt stood in the middle of the shop, trembling.

"Here." Quinn was standing next to him, cup outstretched. "It's chamomile. It's good for the nerves."

Kurt took it gratefully, sliding into Finn's seat. The bitter tea was soothing as Quinn had said, and he gave her a small smile. "Thanks."

"You'd better watch out for Finn," she said quietly, crossing her arms. "He's the sweetest guy you'll ever meet, but he's slow and doesn't always know what he's doing. You might get hurt."

Kurt eyed her oddly. "What are you-?"

"He cares about you." Quinn didn't look happy about it. "A lot. Don't let him go."

Finn came back in, looking guilty. "Hey, guys, I've got to get back home. Mom's in a state. I'll see you tomorrow." He spoke the last part just to Kurt, a warm concern in his eyes. "You look really tired. Get some sleep, okay?"

And he was gone, racing out the door, off to placate his frenzied mother. Kurt slumped in his seat.

"Drink the tea," Quinn said, placing a tip on the table as she stood to leave. "You need it."

:-:

"What do you mean you're 'quitting the team?'" Sue asked, anger rising in her voice. "I've never appointed someone as my manager, Lady Face. Never. You should be honored-"

Kurt cut her off. "Coach, if I may. I'm not quitting because I'm not grateful. I am, I truly am, and I enjoyed my short reign as your minion. But…it's not safe for Finn."

Sue sat back down, eyes narrowing. "Explain, you ingrate."

"You see…" Kurt took a deep breath. "You granted me safety by terrifying the entire student population. No one can touch me. But they _can_ go after Finn out of revenge." He paused. "And that's so much worse. I'd rather die then let them harm him."

Sue glared at Kurt. "That is the stupidest, most clichéd thing I've ever heard, Porcelain." She stood and looked out the window. "I'd offer Frankenteen a spot on the squad, but he would rip the uniform with his gargantuan size. Fine. You're off the squad. But I'm telling you, kid, it's not worth it."

Kurt stood, and walked to the door. "Not to be rude, Coach," he said, voice steady. "But it is worth it. _He's_ worth it."

The coach's face softened a tad. "Like I said before, Hummel – you've got balls."

:-:

When Kurt didn't come to glee club practice, Mercedes got worried. "Mr. R, I gotta use the bathroom," she said, raising her hand.

"Alright, dear," he said absently, fawning over Hank's solo as Rachel watched in jealousy.

Mercedes dashed down the hall, scanning each passing face for a sign of Kurt. At last she found Finn, who was walking towards the locker room, phone in hand.

"Yeah, he said he wasn't feeling well, so he went home," Finn explained, shrugging. "He hasn't been looking great, lately. I think I'm gonna stop by after practice and bring him some soup and we can watch a movie or something."

Mercedes raised an eyebrow. "You two sure are close, lately," she said, voice accusing. "Do you like him?"

Finn blushed. "He's a cool guy."

That wasn't a good response in Mercedes's book. "You know what I mean."

"I'm not gay." Finn shifted awkwardly, cowering under the glare of a girl who was at least a foot shorter than himself.

"You don't have to be gay. Do you like him?"

The hallway was silent. Finn and Mercedes were alone, as far as they could tell, and Finn was just so tired of lying to himself.

"Yes."

Mercedes smiled warmly at the tall boy. "Then go tell him that!"

Finn looked down. "But I'm not gay."

"Like Mercedes said, you don't have to be gay."

They both turned around to see Artie and Tina coming down the hall. Tina's black and white shirt had fresh slushie stains on it and Artie's glasses were taped together.

"A-A-Artie knows a l-lot ab-bout s-s-s-sexualit-ty," Tina said quietly. "A-A-And there a-are m-more than t-t-t-two o-orientations-s-s, you k-know."

Artie nodded kindly at Finn. "You don't have to be gay to like a boy. You could be bisexual, or pansexual, or heteroflexible." The others looked at him in confusion. "It means, 'hey, I'm straight, but shit happens!'"

Finn nodded slowly. "What's the second one? About pans? That sounds kinky."

Artie chuckled. "Pansexual is when gender doesn't control who you're attracted to. Sort of like bisexual, but less emphasis on the gender."

Finn's face lit up. "I think that's what I am! 'Cause I really like girls and all, but Kurt is just…_Kurt_."

Mercedes patted his arm. "Go and get him, tiger. He won't wait forever."

Finn grinned with a new confidence, sprinting towards the locker room to drop his things off and go. Mercedes walked towards the parking lot with Artie and Tina, chatting happily.

None of them saw Dave Karofsky pull out his phone, and none of them heard him say, "He's coming. Get ready."

:-:

Kurt sat on his bed, stomach upset from the constant worrying. He'd been slushied three times today and thrown into the dumpster twice, but he knew a storm was brewing. He could only hope that he hadn't been too late in his act of self-sacrifice.

His phone buzzed, and a text from Mercedes popped up.

_Hey, boy. How're you and your lover?_

Kurt frowned and responded: _Brad Pitt and I are lovely, thank you. What are you talking about?_

Her reply was immediate.

_Isn't Finn there with you?_

Kurt's hand started shaking. _No_.

It was a minute before Mercedes texted again. _Maybe he's still picking up some soup or something. Don't worry about it._

But Kurt was nothing if not a worrier. He called Finn's cell phone three times, never getting answer, and resorted to pacing his room, feeling sicker and sicker by the moment. His father and Carole were out to dinner – "Not a date," his father had said. "Just a meeting to plot against you kids." – and Kurt didn't want to scare Carole again. He paced some more.

The doorbell rang from upstairs, and he all but sprinted to the door. He expected Finn to be on the other side, grinning doofily like usual. Instead, there stood Puck, who looked like he'd run the entire way from McKinley.

In fact, he probably _had_.

"Puckerman?" Kurt asked, voice uneven and careful. "What are doing here?"

Puck gasped for breath, eyes wide and scared. "It's- it's Finn."

Kurt's stomach churned. "What happened?"

"They got him, man." Kurt had never seen Noah Puckerman look so lost. "They got him."

"What?" The words just didn't make sense. Puck couldn't be right. He couldn't.

"They got him, Hummel. The guys that were after you. They got him and someone called the cops but he didn't look good and I didn't know who to call so I came here."

"No." Kurt's vision blurred with tears. "No, no, you're wrong. They couldn't have."

Puck nodded, face white and bloodless. Kurt's vision went red, and he was on his feet before Puckerman could protest, sprinting towards town.

Heads would roll.


	7. Chapter 7

**This is it! The final chapter! Thank you all for reading and leaving such kind reviews. This also marks the (real) beginning of my hiatus. Thank you to everyone who faithfully reads/reviews my stories. You are truly the most awesome people ever. I promise this hiatus won't be a permanent thing, but if something happens and it is, then thank you so much, and have wonderful, beautiful lives. But seriously. I'll be back. I promise. Now, onto the story! (And I need to go do my Japanese work. Oops.)**

_:-:_

_ i need an ambulance_  
><em>i took, i took the worst of the blow<em>

_:-:_

_send me a redeemer_  
><em>let me know if i'm gonna be alright<em>

_:-:_

_am i gonna be alright?_

_:-:_

_'cause i know how it usually goes_  
><em>i know how it usually goes<em>

:-:

"Kurt, wait!" Puck ran after Kurt, overcoming the smaller boy quickly. "Kurt, _stop_." He grabbed both of the boy's shoulders. "Kurt."

Kurt squirmed under his hold. "Let go of me, Puckerman. I'm going to that school and-"

"And what? Getting yourself killed?" Puck frowned. "Call Mrs. H. Get to the hospital. I'm calling Matt and Mike. We'll figure out who it was."

Kurt frowned, but sighed in defeat and pulled out his phone. In an uncharacteristic gesture of comfort, Puck clapped a hand on Kurt's shoulder, squeezing gently. The smaller boy felt tears prick at his eyes.

"How bad is he?" Kurt whispered, avoiding Puck's eyes.

"Bad."

"Oh." Kurt swallowed the lump in his throat. "Were you the one to find him?"

Puck shoved both hands into his pockets, shaking his head. "I was in Figgins' office when it happened. Got busted for locking that wheelchair kid in the janitor's closet." Kurt glared at him. "What? He's okay, isn't he? Whatever." Kurt looked down, unable to be angry with Puck at the moment. "But I was with Figgins when he got the call. Someone saw the group attack Finn and ran to Mrs. Pillsbury."

Kurt let out a shaky breath. "I-I guess I should call Carole."

"Look, Kurt." The smaller boy looked up, eyes filled with unshed tears. He blinked them away hastily. "I promise. I'll find out who did this. Finn's my boy, even if he likes to take it up the butt."

Kurt let out a strangled laugh. "You do realize Finn and I aren't dating, right? And that presumption is what's landed him in a hospital bed."

Puck shrugged. "You may not be dating, but that doesn't make him any less in love with you." Kurt let a tear fall. "I gotta go." He paused, looking incredibly uncomfortable. "Will you be okay?"

Kurt nodded, slowly dialing Carole Hudson's number. "Yeah."

Puck grimaced in sympathy, then turned to head back to the school, or to Matt or Mike's house, or somewhere else, Kurt wasn't sure. Kurt felt himself speaking out before he could stop himself. "Noah?"

Puck looked a little taken aback, but not angry that Kurt had used his real name. "Yeah?"

"Thank you."

Puck gave him a small smile, then left Kurt to his phone call. A couple tears spilled over onto Kurt's cheek.

"_Hello?"_

"Carole?"

"_Kurt, what's wrong?"_

"Carole, I don't know what to say, it all happened so fast, Puck just came by and told me and I really don't know anything but-"

"_Kurt, sweetie, slow down. What's wrong?"_

"It's Finn."

:-:

Kurt paced the waiting room, feeling restless and ill. He clawed at the soft flesh of his wrist, only stopping when he unintentionally drew blood. Carole was in hysterics.

Burt was oddly quiet. He sat in a corner, simmering in anger and…was that fear in his eyes? Kurt shivered that there was something on this earth that could scare his father, the bravest man he knew.

"Mrs. Hudson?" A doctor came out, face professional, but grave. Carole stood up and rushed to the man, wringing her hands.

"How is he?" She asked, and Kurt watched as the strong, immovable woman he'd come to love crumbled down, leaving a shaking, aged shell amongst the debris. The doctor said something that only Carole could hear, then led her away to see her son.

"Do you think he's okay?" Kurt asked his father; his throat was raw from suppressing tears. Burt shook his head.

"I have no idea, kid." He took Kurt's hand, much like he did the last night of Katherine Hummel's life, when Kurt was small and seated in a similar waiting room. The memory alone was enough to bring the thin boy to tears.

"I'm scared, Dad," Kurt whispered, grasping his father's hand tightly. Burt pulled him closer, holding him like he hadn't since Katherine's funeral.

_This is silly_, Kurt thought. _Finn isn't even dead. Is he?_

He finally let himself break down, curling into his father's side.

:-:

"What do you mean I can't see him?" Kurt was fuming. Burt gripped his shoulder tightly.

"Son, you're in no state to see him right now. Besides, Finn isn't even awake. There's nothing to see."

Carole had returned after an hour, teary and upset. After a hushed conversation with Burt, they decided that Kurt shouldn't see Finn in his current state.

"But I _need_ to see him! I need to make sure he's okay!" Kurt was bordering on hysterical now, body trembling and voice rising. "Please!"

"No, Kurt." Burt's voice was stern. "Not today."

Without a word, Kurt ran from the room, pushing past a group of nurses roughly. Burt sighed, and Carole patted his arm.

"It's for the best, isn't it? I just want to protect my son," Burt said, sinking into a chair. Carole nodded.

"No mother should ever see her son like that." A pause. "And no boy should see the one he loves in that state. It's heartbreaking."

Burt gave her a small smile. "Do you think they'll ever see what we see?"

Carole laughed quietly. "Finn's slow, but he can read people like comic books. I think they'll figure it out."

"Even after this?" The room was impregnated with a thick silence. Carole looked like she might cry again.

"It might be the only thing that can heal them after this. My baby…" She dissolved into tears, burying her face in her palms. Burt wrapped an arm around her.

Kurt never came back.

:-:

School was eerie the next day. Everyone knew that Finn had been sent to the hospital, but no one knew what state he was in. Rumors were flying around that Sean Karofsky had shot Finn with his father's shotgun. Other rumors said that Sean and Finn had been having an affair, and that Sean had rounded up his buddies to teach Finn a lesson after he left Sean for Kurt. Some even said that it had been _Kurt_ who had stabbed Finn in a jealous rage. No one seemed to know the real story.

Even Puck couldn't figure it out. He and Matt and Mike had threatened and interrogated countless students, but no one could give a straight story. Puck even got detention for denting a locker in frustration (and damaging a perfectly good textbook).

Sean, who had technically been suspended at the time of the crime, walked down the halls with a smug grin on his face. His posse looked less sure of themselves. His brother looked terrified.

By lunch, the whispers and pointed fingers pushed Kurt to an edge. Even with the support of Mercedes, Artie, and Tina (and Rachel, to a degree), the lithe boy broke down.

Kurt collapsed onto a bench outside of the school, body wracked with sobs. Pulling his knees to his chest, the small boy cried. It didn't matter who saw him at this point; nothing mattered.

"Hummel?" Kurt looked up into the eyes of Dave Karofsky. He flinched.

"If you're going to do something to me, make it quick. Might as well kill me now; I'll never be able to face Finn again as it is. So go ahead – kill me. Kill the fag."

On second look, it was clear that Dave hadn't slept. He looked pale and tired and unhappy – definitely not what Kurt had been expecting.

"I'm not here to hurt you," he said, voice low. "I'm here to apologize."

Kurt raised an eyebrow at the larger boy. "Why?"

Dave knelt down, eye-to-eye with Kurt. "Because what happened to Hudson is my fault."

Hands shaking, Kurt reached out and slapped Dave. It wasn't hard, but it got his point across. Dave took the blow gracefully, looking ashamed and guilty.

"Look, I- I don't know what came over me. It's just, I've always looked up to Sean. His opinion's always been the most important to me. So when he said he wanted to get back at you for getting us suspended, I figured it was a good idea. If I'd known what he was planning, I would never have told him where to find Hudson or I would have tried to stop it or something-"

"So you know what happened?" Kurt sat up. "What did he do to Finn?"

Dave paused, looking conflicted. Then he said, "He got some of the guys to jump him. Beat him up a little, just something visible so you'd freak out and he'd go back to normal." Kurt winced, bile filling his throat. "But then Sean pulled out a pocket knife and took over. None of the guys stopped him, but they were all pretty freaked out. Sean just…I don't know. Started screaming insults at Hudson, started stabbing him and cutting him and shit and it wasn't funny anymore. I ran, went and found Ms. Pillsbury. I didn't tell her who did it, but they got to Finn and called the ambulance and stuff. Someone must have seen me leave, though, 'cause all the guys were gone by the time the teachers got there."

Dave's voice cracked at the end, and Kurt was stunned to see tears in the large boy's eyes. "So you saved him?"

Dave shook his head. "No. Not really. I should have stopped it. I'm so sorry, Kurt."

Red filled Kurt's vision again, and he jumped up from the bench. "Thank you, Dave. That's what I needed to know."

And then Dave was gone, far behind Kurt, still kneeling by the bench in shock. But Kurt didn't care; Kurt had someone else to deal with.

"Karofsky!" He shouted, striding down the hallway, clearing crowds with his menacing air. Artie and Tina exchanged a glance.

"'Sup, fag?" Sean slammed his locker shut. "Here to whine at me about your boyfriend?"

Kurt's knuckles collided with Sean's nose with a satisfying crunch. The taller boy staggered backwards, hands clutching his face.

"You fuckin' ass-hole! I swear to God-"

But Kurt's fist met his face again, and again, and anywhere else he could reach. Sean was helpless in his shock, but as soon as he regained his control, he threw Kurt back against a locker.

"Why can't you just leave us alone!" Kurt screamed, panting heavily. "Finn's not even my boyfriend! If you're going to blindly torture someone, it might as well be me!"

Kurt pushed off the row of lockers, knocking Sean to the ground. His lip was split and he could feel a shiner forming around his eyes, but the blood that stained his hands was not his own, and that gave him power.

"Kurt!" A pair of strong arms lifted Kurt off of Sean, holding him back. They were strong, but not violent.

"Let go of me, Noah!" Kurt cried, struggling hard against Puck's grip. "I have to- I have to get him-"

"Let me take care of that, Lady Face." The hall silenced immediately. There, powerful and terrifying and oh, so welcome, was Coach Sylvester, and she was angry. Behind her was Quinn, who had clearly run to get her. Quinn, like Dave, had clearly not slept.

"You, Ape-Boy," she motioned to a bleeding Karofsky. "My office." He didn't move. "NOW!"

The now-shaking football player ran off, not sparing Kurt a glance or a threat. Sue gave Kurt a grave smile.

"Thanks to the testimony of David Karofsky, I can take this case of bullying, harassment, and now attempted murder to the school board. He'll be expelled for sure."

She turned to walk away, but looked over her shoulder to say, "There's still a spot open for you on the squad, Porcelain. Anyone with balls like yours is welcome on my team."

Then she was gone, and Quinn was in her place. "You look like crap, sweetie."

Kurt was a little taken aback by the term of endearment, but he played it off. "Well, it's been a long day."

She reached out a ghosted her fingers over his bruises and cuts, lips pursed. "Let's go shopping this weekend. I need some new dresses."

Kurt raised an eyebrow. "Well, I supposed Mercedes and I can allow one more person to come with us…If we won't ruin your reputation, that is."

Quinn smiled at him – genuinely smiled – and kissed his cheek gently. "Anyone who fights like that for something they believe in is cool in my book."

Kurt wiped away a little blood that trickled from the corner of his mouth, and she took his hand.

"Come on, let's clean you up."

No one spoke as they walked away. But as Kurt passed by Tina and Artie, they began to clap, slowly, then getting faster. Brittany and Santana joined in, as did Puck, Matt, and Mike. Mercedes ran up to take Kurt's other hand, and suddenly the entire hallway was applauding Kurt, cheering for him, even. No one had ever taken on Sean Karofsky like that.

And now, no one ever had to again.

:-:

Kurt paced the waiting room anxiously, ignoring his father's pointed glances. Though Kurt had apologized for running out the day before, he still hadn't forgiven his father for trying to shelter him. He _had_ to see Finn. No matter what.

Carole came out from visiting Finn, looking wary. "He's awake now," she said, talking more to Burt that anyone else. "And he's been asking for Kurt – repeatedly. As much as I don't want Kurt to see him like that-" Kurt shivered. "-I think he's what Finn needs right now."

Kurt's heart skipped a beat, and he let Carole lead him back to Finn's room. With trembling hands, he opened the door and walked inside.

Finn was heartbreaking. Dark bruises covered his skin, like splotches of plague or pools of ink. The stitches on his body were so numerous that he looked like a rag doll, and beeping, whirring machines surrounded him. He was so pale he could have been dead.

But when he saw Kurt, his eyes came alive, burning with a deep, everlasting fire. He smiled, and tried to reach out to him.

"Hey, Finn." Kurt hated that his voice cracked. "How are you feeling?'

Finn patted the bed next to himself. "Like shit. Come here."

Kurt shook his head. "No, Finn."

The taller boy's face fell. "Why not? Am I that ugly now?"

Tears sprang into Kurt's eyes. "No, sweetie, you're beautiful. But you shouldn't want anything to do with me right now. We should never have met."

Finn sat a little straighter, grimacing in pain. "What are you talking about? I lo-"

"It's my fault you're here, Finn. If you'd never met me, Sean would never have thought you were gay, and you wouldn't be in this stupid bed."

"And you'd be dead!" Finn shouted. "If we'd never met, no one would have ever found you in that dumpster! How can you say that?"

Kurt gave him a watery smile. "I'd rather be dead than see you like this, know that I _caused_ this. I love-"

"That's stupid, Kurt!" Finn was almost crying with pain now as he tried to sit up. Kurt rushed over to push him back against his pillows, then stepped away, as if he had been burned. "It was Sean who decided to be a psychopath, not you! It was those jackasses who decided to back him up, not you! You've saved me, Kurt. You just don't know it. I love y-"

"Finn, please." Kurt's eyes were shimmering with tears, and Finn could see every shimmering color that he loved so dearly - the melancholy blue pools, the calming green swirls, the brilliant flecks of gold. "I love you too much to cause you any more pain."

"You love me?" Kurt mistook the surprise in Finn's voice as disgust.

"Yes. Take care, Finn. You won't be seeing me again. I promise." Kurt turned to leave, vision already clouded over with the tears he was trying so hard to suppress. A weak, trembling hand caught his.

"I was going to say it first. You just ruined my moment."

Kurt blinked. "Say what first?"

Finn looked down, smiling. "That I love you."

And then Kurt's lips were on Finn's, warm and soft and unsure but _so totally sure_, and if Finn could move, he would have been jumping and twirling and dancing. Instead, he laughed.

Kurt laughed too, a tinkling, golden sound, and Finn captured his mouth again, running a weak had through the boy's cropped, brown hair. His fingers skimmed over Kurt's stitches, as Kurt's fingers ran over one of his own cuts.

"We're a worn out couple, aren't we?" Finn asked, smiling warmly. Kurt blushed.

"Couple?"

Finn laughed again. "After all that, you're worried about being a _couple_?"

Kurt's blush deepened. "Well, I thought maybe the kiss was just in the heat of the moment. You…you want to be…?"

"Yeah," Finn breathed, brushing his thumb across Kurt's cheek. "I do. Do you?"

Kurt nodded shakily. "Since the day I met you, Finn Hudson."

Finn's eyes went out of focus, then he smiled, looking back at Kurt. "You know, this is where we met. Officially. And now it's where we declared our love."

"Officially," Kurt added, pressing his forehead to Finn's. "I love you."

"I love you, too. Can I kiss you some more?"

Kurt giggled, staring lovingly into the beat-up, scarred face of his new boyfriend. "It would be my pleasure, Mr. Hudson."

"But no more ambulances, okay?" Finn added against Kurt's mouth. Kurt muffled his laughter against Finn's cheek.

"I promise."

September, 2010

"Come on, Finn."

"Where are we going?"

"I told you a million times before: we're going to sign up for glee club."

"But Mr. Ryerson got fired for creepin' on Hank."

"Exactly. Now Mr. Schuester's running the club."

"My Spanish teacher?"

"The one and only."

"Oh, that's cool. I like Mr. Schue."

Kurt smiled fondly at his boyfriend, tugging on his hand. "Well, then, come on! We need to go sign the sheet."

They walked down the hall, hand-in-hand. A few people gave them weird looks, but the combination of Kurt's Cheerios uniform and Finn's new status as quarterback kept them quiet. Besides, Kurt and Finn were practically McKinley's power-couple. Even some of the jocks thought they were cute. (Though they'd _never_ admit it.)

As they approached the sheet, Dave Karofsky passed by, joking around with his football buddies. He turned, though, to give Kurt and Finn a small wave and a smile. Kurt smiled back, leaning in closer to Finn.

"You know, you should get Noah to sign up. He really has a wonderful voice."

Finn shrugged. "I don't know. I can't really see him dancing around in costumes. Plus, he's secretly a little shy when it comes to singing in front of other people."

"Well, I'll try to convince Quinn to join, and then maybe he'll come after her, like the lovesick puppy we all know he is." Kurt grinned up at Finn, winking. "Brittany said Santana's almost ready to come out. She wants to tell her parents first."

Finn smiled. "I'm glad they found each other. San's been so much less of a bitch to me since she started dating Britt."

"The powers of love," Kurt deadpanned. "It works miracles."

"It really does." Finn's voice was sincere and warm. Kurt blushed.

"Here we go. Finn and Kurt, signed up for 4:00 in the afternoon." Kurt finished scrawling on the paper. "Right after…Miss Rachel Berry. Joy."

"Why are our names together? Shouldn't we be separate, like Artie and Tina?"

"No." Kurt's voice was steady, sure. "We'll be doing a duet. _I'll Cover You_. It's perfect for us, I'd like to think. Schuester can take us or leave us, but we're a package deal, you and I."

"And we always will be," Finn whispered, burying his lips in Kurt's hair, fingers brushing over the now-hidden scar on the back of his scalp. Kurt reached up and traced one of Finn's still-remaining scars, the one that trailed over his forehead and dangerously close to his eye. Kurt leaned up to kiss Finn, arms wrapping around his boyfriend's torso.

"I still love you," he murmured. "I'll never stop."

Finn rubbed circles in the small of Kurt's back, ignoring the stares that were directed at the two of them. "I don't think I _could_ ever stop loving you."

Kurt smiled up at his boyfriend, then pulled away, taking his hand once again. "You ready?"

Finn smiled wickedly. "I hope Schuester can handle this. We're sort of unstoppable."

Kurt laughed. "That we are.

"That we are."


End file.
